Manual of Fees provides helpful information

Broken Arrow residents can find information about the costs associated with hauling away an extra bag of trash, renting the Rose District Pavilion, obtaining a building permit, and more in the Fiscal Year 2026 Manual of Fees.

The Manual of Fees is a resource that details the rates the City of Broken Arrow charges for its public utilities, such as water, sanitary sewer, trash, as well as the rates for many other city services in one convenient location.

The City Council approved Resolution 1680 authorizing the Fiscal Year 2026 Manual of Fees on Aug. 4, 2025. The Manual of Fees rates take effect on Oct. 1, 2025, and remain in place until Sept. 30, 2026.

The City Council's approval follows extensive research and discussions between the Council, City Managers, and staff, including a public meeting on July 14, where they discussed the findings from a Utility Rate Study conducted by Black & Veach Consulting.

City Manager Michael Spurgeon thanked the City Council for their due diligence that they have put into consideration the Manual of Fees and its subsequent rate increases.

"The staff was challenged and put to the task of trying to make sure the increase that we presented to you reflected what was in the Black & Veatch study, as well as what was justifiable based on what we need to provide great services to our citizens," Spurgeon said. "What you have before you, is a cost increase. While I'm very conscious of the total of the increase, I feel proud that it is covering the cost to provide great services."

"As a Council and staff, we have reviewed this Manual of Fees because we take this very seriously," said Councilor Justin Green. "We want to consider everything as to what impact it's going to have on our citizens, and the impact it's going to have on our city. We looked at and discussed multiple options and different ways we could do this...I think what's being presented tonight is what is necessary to keep the city operating and moving forward and continuing the standard of living that our citizens expect."

Black and Veach determined that four of the utilities that the city provides needed a rate increase to remain sustainable. These Utilities include:

• Water
• Sewer
• Stormwater
• Solid Waste and Recycling

City of Broken Arrow Director of Finance Cynthia Arnold said that the average customer who uses 7,000 gallons of water a month will see their bill increase by 9.7 percent or approximately $12.69 per month. The increase will not impact their Utility bills until mid-November.

The City of Broken Arrow is different from some other municipalities because the bills customers receive encompass more than just water use charges. It is not simply a Water bill; rather, it is a comprehensive Utility bill that also includes charges for Wastewater, Stormwater, Solid Waste and Recycling, LifeRide (ambulance service), and Streetlights.

"I want our citizens to know that we don't take this lightly, we've put a lot of time and effort as a staff and Council into trying to keep the rates as low as possible, but to still pay our bills," said Councilor Lisa Ford. "Everything went up so much. It does cost money to have the quality of life that we have here in Broken Arrow. To have our own water system is expensive, but this way we don't have to rely on anyone else for that."

Vice Mayor Johnnie Parks agreed and said, "We need to monitor these utilities, such as water and sewer, to protect the health and welfare of the community."

Arnold said that several factors have caused these utilities to rise in cost to the city. For example, at the Solid Waste and Recycling Department, the tipping fees, which are what the city is charged for disposing of waste at a landfill or a waste processing facility, went up 97 percent. The recycling fees are also up 79 percent.

"And for the Water and Sewer rates," Arnold said, "Lab services, electricity, everything is going up across the board."

Arnold says the costs are adjusted each fiscal year according to the Consumer Price Index.

"We took a look at a lot of things," said Vice Mayor Johnnie Parks. "We hated to raise the rates, but we had to do it or cut some services out. The city provided us with a list of comparable cities to Broken Arrow and we're right there with everyone else."