Fresno Council Starts Water Rate Hike Process
The city has begun the Proposition 218 process for proposed water and wastewater rate increases, with a public hearing set for December 29.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Utilities
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Fresno City Council voted 5-2 to initiate the Proposition 218 process for water and wastewater rate increases. Residents will receive protest cards by mail, and if a majority of property owners or customers return them by December 29, the city cannot raise the rates.
Why it matters
Fresno has not approved water rate increases since 2014 and has not changed wastewater rates since 2006. Since 2018, water operating expenses have increased by 36% while water rate revenue has risen only 4%, which the city cites as the driver for the proposed changes.
Since 2018, water operating expenses have increased 36% against a 4% rise in water rate revenue, and wastewater operating expenses have risen 40% against a 3% rise in wastewater rate revenue. The city's projections for a 27% water increase and 22% wastewater increase by Fiscal Year 2031 depend on the outcome of the protest process, which is still pending.
The players
Fresno City Council
The seven-member governing body of Fresno, California, which voted to initiate the rate-increase process.
The details
The council voted 5-2 to start the Proposition 218 process after first considering it in October and deferring until after the November election. Roughly 180,000 protest cards are being mailed, and the average single-family water bill is projected to rise from $47.48 to $60.31 per month by FY2031.
Timeline
2006: The city last changed its wastewater rates.
2014: The city last approved water rate increases.
2018: Water rate increases ended, serving as the revenue comparison baseline.
October 2025: The council first considered the Proposition 218 process and deferred.
December 29, 2026: Public hearing and protest card deadline.
Market Landscape
Fresno's rate proposal operates under California's Proposition 218, which since 1996 has required a majority protest process before local governments can raise water and wastewater rates. The city's 2014 water increases and 2006 wastewater changes were the last such adjustments before this round.
Property owners and water customers in Fresno will receive protest cards and can return them by December 29 to block the increases. If the protest is not successful, the average single-family water bill is projected to rise from $47.48 to $60.31 per month by FY2031.
The takeaway
Residents who want to affect the outcome should watch for their protest card and return it before the December 29 deadline. Majority participation is the only mechanism that can stop the increases before the hearing.
What happens next
A public hearing on the proposed rate increases is set for December 29, 2026, when the protest card deadline also falls.
Further reading
For more on how local utility costs are set, see Utilities coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The San Joaquin Valley Sun.
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