Brookhaven residents can expect to pay more for water and sewerand garbage collection services next year, but city officials havenot determined how much of an increase that will be.

During a budget work session Monday night, Mayor Bob Massengillsaid “uncontrollable costs” in water and sewer operations and a newcontract for garbage collection are forcing the increase.

“We’ve got very few options,” the mayor said.

In the Solid Waste budget, city and county officials are workingon a new garbage collection contract.

With per-household pick-up charges expected to be up, cityofficials said the exact amount of the increase would be passed onto customers. Massengill said budget writers factored in anincrease, but the number added was only for budget preparationpurposes.

“We’re not going to plug in the actual number until we know whatthat number is,” Massengill said.

The Solid Waste budget for next year is just over $1 million.Last night’s proposal calls for revenue to exceed expenses by about$54,000.

“We come out OK,” the mayor said.

In the $2.58 million Water and Sewer budget, the picture did notlook as good.

Massengill pointed out that utility costs for operating thewaste water treatment plant and other facilities had increased over$250,000 in the last two years.

“We haven’t be able to raise rates enough to offset that,”Massengill said.

Aldermen last year approved a 6 percent increase in rates. Itwas the first increase since 1992.

“We’ve been using cash carried forward for years to balance thebudget,” said City Clerk Mike Jinks.

Even with a similar 6 percent raise next year, expenditures areexpected to be about $80,000 less than revenue.

Massengill said financial consultant Demery Grubbs is working ona “blended rate” for water and sewer services. The rate for sewertreatment is currently 50 percent of whatever the water usagecharge is.

Ward Five Alderman D.W. Maxwell advocated raising the sewertreatment fee while Alderman at large Les Bumgarner urged higherrates for major water customers.

“I want to put the burden on the user,” Bumgarner said.

Massengill said 86 percent of the city’s over 4,400 customersuse less than 10,000 gallons a month.

The mayor said no one wants to raise rates, but it costs moneyto provide services like water and sewer and garbage collection.Both budgets are enterprise funds, meaning they must beself-supporting with enough revenue generated to coverexpenses.

“There are services people expect and we have to provide,”Massengill said.