Baldwin City Council approves FY26 Enterprise Fund budget, raises Demorest water rate 2.5%

At a March 4, 2025 work session, Baldwin City Council discussed a proposed Master Fee Schedule for FY2026, including enterprise fund rates for garbage, water and sewer service, with the stated goal of having it amended and effective July 1, 2025.

A March 10 council packet added proposed water/sewer meter fee schedules and a surcharge for users discharging "high strength" wastewater into the city system.

On April 10, council was presented overviews of the proposed FY2026 Water Treatment and Wastewater Treatment department budgets, with water treatment expenses projected slightly higher than FY25 and wastewater treatment expenses projected slightly lower.

Draft Enterprise Fund budgets circulated at June 3 and June 9 work sessions laid out projected water and sewer revenue, total enterprise expenses, and a debt coverage ratio of 1.188.

On June 26, 2025, Baldwin City Council approved the FY2026 Enterprise Fund budget, covering Public Works water and sewer operations, the Water Treatment Plant, and utility billing administration. The approved budget includes a 2.50% increase in revenue from water sold to Demorest and designates restricted revenue collected under a Georgia Department of Corrections contract for wastewater treatment plant projects or debt service.