POINT: Sioux Falls deserves answers ahead of utility rate hikes

Guest column by Theresa Stehly

There is good news and bad news concerning utility rates for Sioux Falls residents, multi-housing facilities and businesses.  

The GOOD NEWS:

As The Dakota Scout reported on June 6 —

 “Xcel Energy last year sought to impose increases of nearly 18 percent on its South Dakota customer’s revenue for the company. However, the PUC settlement, agreed to by Xcel, reduces that increase to about 6 percent. This settlement also freezes base electricity rates through 2025.”  

Thanks to the Public Utilities Commission for taking time to listen to the customers and caring enough to keep rates reasonable to support an affordable quality of life. This is government doing its due diligence on behalf of its citizens. 

The BAD NEWS:  

On June 6, the Mayor’s Office presented to the Sioux Falls City Council a four-year plan to increase our sewer bills by 22 percent and our Water bills by 19 percent. This is in addition to the already massive increases we have been experiencing since 2018.

The justification for the 2018 rate increase was the need to fund the largest expenditure in our city history, the $260,000,000 (that’s $260 million) rebuild of our Waste Water Treatment Plant. This proposed cost projection never included the additional interest payments.

NEWS: Sioux Falls water, sewer users could be paying 20 percent more by 2027