Town raises water bills by 30%

DUGGER, Ind. (WTHI) - Dugger, Indiana has faced numerous cuts and setbacks already this year. Now the town is increasing the cost of its water and putting financial stress on its residents.

For nearly nine months, the town of Dugger has dealt with a water rate increase from their water supplier without passing along that burden to it's citizens.

But Thursday night, the town voted to raise its residents water and sewage rates by 30 percent.

Dugger gets its water from the city of Linton. In January, the cost of that water coming into Dugger increased by 30 percent.

However, the town had not passed that raise on to the tax payers until Thursday night. Dugger officials say it has cost the town roughly $4,000 a month.

Here's what this means for the people of Dugger. Everyone in the town will see a 30 percent increase in their water bill.

For example, right now, the minimum water usage bill runs just over $35, with the new rates, it will be just more than $46. Keep in mind that's the minimum folks can spend on their bill.

Town officials say while it may be a shock to those at the meeting, the rate hike should have been done a while ago.

"It's been long time coming, we should have done it in the past. They hadn't raised those rates in quite a while,” Michelle Riggleman, Dugger Town Clerk and Treasurer said. “In order for us to make our monthly payments to the different things that we owe, we have to make our payroll. We just don't have a choice."