Overview

• The City Council voted 8–1 to postpone a decision, setting a final vote for Oct. 28, with Councilmember Vivian Moreno dissenting.
• The proposal phases in increases from January 2026 through January 2029, totaling roughly 62% for water and 31% for sewer.
• City documents identify higher costs from the San Diego County Water Authority and declining sales and flows as the primary fiscal pressures.
• The Independent Budget Analyst urges near-term approval, warning of likely staff reductions, longer customer-service wait times and more disruptions without new revenue, and notes the billing system needs about 60 days to update.
• For a 1-inch meter, the monthly water charge would rise from $46.63 today to $56.83 in Jan. 2026, $65.08 in 2027, $72.57 in 2028 and $80.56 in 2029, after officials already used $100 million in stabilization funds and tapped reservoirs to save $83 million.