LISBON — Columbiana County commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday to approve requested sewer rate increases effective July 1 for customers in various sewer districts served by the county.

County Chief Deputy Sanitary Engineer Troy Graft said customers can expect to see this year’s 10 % increase on their bill that is due in August. The proposal approved by commissioners includes a 10 % increase in July this year, a 10 % increase in July 2026 and a 5 % increase in July 2027.

Graft and county Engineer Bert Dawson, who also serves as sanitary engineer, explained the need for the rate increases during a presentation to commissioners two weeks ago, noting the last sewer rate increase was in July 2017.

“We held off as long as we could,” Dawson said.

In the eight years since the last increase, Graft said the Consumer Price Index rose 26 %.

According to Graft, there was a lot of cost cutting in those eight years, shopping around for better prices from waste haulers, not replacing a sewer employee who left and submittting $735,000 worth of defaulted accounts to the county auditor for placement on customers’ taxes as a special assessment. Equipment costs have also gone up in that time.

In 2024, he said expenses outnumbered income by $185,000, so increases were needed.

As part of the written proposal to commissioners, Graft said “we understand that rising costs impact everyone, therefore, we recommend using the above structure for the sewer rate increase over a three-year period to help minimize the impact. This will allow the county Water and Sewere District to get back on solid footing and provide the professional services that the residents of Columbiana County expect and deserve.”

The “above structure” he was talking about was a table showing each district with the current rate and the rates effective July 2025, July 2026 and July 2027. The increase to rates will be for those areas not under a contract. Both  the federal prison and the village of Lisbon are under a contract.

The current monthly rates and the approved increases, listed in order, include:

— Calcutta: $7.49 per 1,000 gallons ($3/month debt), $8.24, $9.06, $9.52

— Skyview Acres: $22.04 flat rate/month ($3/month R&R), $24.24, $26.67, $28

— Russell Heights $9.80 per 1,000 gallons, $10.78, 11.86. $12.45

— JVS: $7.14 per 1,000 gallons, $7.85, $8.64, $9.07

— Elkton: $7.14  per 1,000 gallons, $7.85, $8.64, 9.07

— Guilford: $22.04 flat rate/month, $24.24, $26.67, $28

— Guilford Camper Parks per space: $11.03, $12.13, $13.35, $14

— Guilford ODNR Camper Park: $5.81 per 1,000 gallons, $6.39, $7.03, $7.38

— Winona: $10.50 OM&R/month, $11.55, $12.71, $13.34

— Winona flat rate/with debt: $50.59, $51.64, $52.80, $53.43

— Rose View Acres: $21.08 flat rate/month, $22.09. $24.30, $25.51

— Rose View Acres: $41.97 total flat rate (with debt/R&R), $43.98, $46.19, 47.41

— Beaver Local: $7.34 per 1,000 gallons over 3,000 gallons, $7.85, $8.64, $9.07

— Beaver Local minimum first 3,000 gallons: $20, $22, $24.20, $25.41

— Duke Road: $7.49 per 1,000 gallons (plus $3/month debt), $8.24, $9.06, $9.52

— County Home Road: $7.14 per 1,000 gallons, $7.85, $8.64, $9.07

— United Local: $425 flat rate/month, $467, $514, $540

— Glenmoor: $6.47 per 1,000 gallons, $7.12, $7.83, $8.22 (debt remains $40.57)

— Kensington, $58.05 flat rate/month, $49.76, $49.76, $49.76

— Hanoverton, starting in June, proposed $49,76, $49.76 , $49.76

Residential tap-in fees will increase from a $1,500 to $4,500 range to $4,500, with a small business tap-in fee at $9,000. He noted that Kensington will get a discount because of the increase in users from Hanoverton. The recently completed Hanoverton sanitary sewer project will be excluded from the rate increase until Jan. 1, 2027.

The average customer usage per month for sewer is about 4,500 gallons, Graft said.

In other business, the commissioners set a public hearing for the 2026 tax budget at 9:05 a.m. July 9 in the commissioners’ meeting room at the downtown courthouse.

The contract for the 2025 county line striping program was awarded to Aero-Mark Company LLC of Streetsboro for $336,905. The only other bidder was Oglesby Construction Inc. for $408,954.

In business related to the county Department of Job and Family Services, the board approved the Title XX Biennium County Profile for Oct. 1, 2025 to Sept. 30, 2026, contracted with Corner Auto for agency vehicle maintenance and repairs from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 with a contract spending ceiling of $13,000, and amended performance standards due to a change regarding staff for the prosecutor’s IV-D contact for Child Support Enforcement Agency legal services from Oct. 1, 2024 to Sept. 30, 2025.

The next meeting of county commissioners will be 9 a.m. June 18 at the downtown courthouse in Lisbon.