WHITE HALL APPROVES graduated sewer increase

By Editor | June 17, 2026 |

By Carmen Ensinger

White Hall sewer customers need to brace themselves for another increase on their sewer bill as the White Hall City Council approved a graduated usage rate that will increase the sewer rate of customers. This increase, however, is far less than the increase that came in April.
In April, the council voted to increase the sewer rates by a flat $10 charge for sewer and an additional $5 maintenance fee for all residential and business customers for a total monthly increase of $15.
Alderman Carter Cox, who is chairman of the Water and Sewer Committee said the increase was needed because from April of 2024 to April of 2025, the sewer utility lost over $163,000, which is a monthly loss of over $13,500.
The current rate for sewer was $3.25 for 2,000 to 10,000 gallons and $2.75 for anything over 10,000 gallons.
From a business standpoint, it just doesn’t seem to make much sense, because if you are using more resources, you should be paying more,” Cox said. “And, given the state of our sewer plant, the more flow that we put on that plant, the more it is stressing it out, so you would think there should be an increased charge with the increased usage.”
Cox said what he was proposing wasn’t anything crazy but he was proposing to keep the base rate the same at the first 2,000 gallons but from 2,000 to 2,999 the charge would be $3.25 and then for ever 1,000 gallons over that basically there would be an increase of 25 cents.
“So, it would be a slight increase for anyone who uses over that 2,000 gallons, but at least it would get us a little bit more consistent with increased costs per increased usage,” he said.
Cox said the average water customer uses an average of 3,100 gallons a month. For them, they would see an approximate $1.38 increase on their sewer rate over the course of a year.
This would result in a $15,000 increase to the city’s coffers.
“So, it would just be something that allows us to get a little bit more consistent with cost versus usage,” Cox said. “Versus something that kind of seemed in reverse. It is something that we have to get ahead of instead of be reacting on.”
The graduated increase on the sewer rates will take effect with the July billing.
Mayor Kleidon said the chemicals to treat the White Hall Rez came in below the $1,000 cost estimated last month, $727.72, to be exact, and the and the Conservation Department applied them for the city.
However, they will only apply them once for free and if they need to be applied again, then the city will have to hire someone to apply them.
Mayor Kleidon said last month made his appointments and they didn’t get accepted and some things were brought to his attention and he redid them.
All the headmen are going to stay the same. He said he can’t make an alderman be on a committee but if there is an issue with being on a committee to let him know and he can move them.
McMillen said he needed to be moved off the Gas Distribution Committee because it was a conflict with his job.
Mayor Kleidon told him he needed to get him a list of what committees he could put him on.
McMillen said any other committee but natural gas.
“When I got elected, I had this conversation with the mayor (then the mayor was Brad Staats) and I gave him a letter stating that I could not handle, be in charge or on the natural gas distribution because that is my job,” McMillen said. “Unless you want to pay my salary that I make to justify me losing my job I cannot be on the gas committee.”
The council approved the adoption of an ordinance approving a loan agreement with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency authorizing and providing for the issuance of waterworks revenue bonds for the purpose of defraying the cost of extending and improving the waterwork system.
The city applied for and was granted loan forgiveness so instead of the need to borrow $700,000, the amount was brought down to $552,371.
The council approved the purchase of a new backhoe for the city street department. The city currently has two backhoes, but they are both over 30 years old.
The city has $67,963 in the account in which the money would come for its purchase. The monthly income on that account is $4,620.
McMillen said he worked there his whole career and with those two same backhoes and knows for a fact they are worn out.
Trade-ins from the two old backhoes came in at $13,000 for one and $15,000 for the other so total financing on the new backhoe would be $64,466. The monthly payment on a 5-year lease would be $1,264.72.