TULSA, Okla. – Tulsa residents will see higher utility bills starting October 1 after the Tulsa City Council approved rate increases for stormwater and solid waste services Tuesday night.
Your utility bills are going up
Stormwater fees will increase seven percent, rising from $13.69 to $14.65 per month. Trash and solid waste removal costs will go up between 80 and 97 cents per month, depending on the size of your trash can.
Council Chair Karen Gilbert says the increases are necessary to keep up with the cost of maintaining and improving the services residents rely on.
“Just making sure that the services are included, that we’re able to make the improvements that the citizens expect us to make, like water lines — making sure that their trash is picked up on their days,” Gilbert said. “It’s just about making sure that improvements are there and the quality as well.”
Residents react to the increases
At least one resident at Tuesday’s meeting said he understood the need for the changes. Bob Odle, who lives in Council District 5, said inflation has driven up costs across the board — including for the city.
“You get what you pay for,” Odle said. “I understand there’s been a lot of inflation and things are costing more, and it cost the city, too. So I have no problem.”
Budget vote pushed to next week
The council also postponed its vote on the fiscal year 2027 budget, which had been scheduled for Tuesday. Gilbert said councilors want more time to hear from residents before finalizing the spending plan.
“We’re also hearing and getting input from residents on different things that are important to them,” Gilbert said. “We just want to make sure that we include that and just listen — making sure that those improvements, or the necessities that are important to residents, are included in the budget.”
The council will take up the budget at its next regular meeting on Wednesday, June 17 at 5 p.m. at City Hall. Residents who want to weigh in before then can contact their district councilor directly by phone or email.
This article was originally published by KOTV. You can see the original story here.