LOS ANGELES, CA – Dozens of Glendale residents and business owners objected Tuesday night to a proposal by Glendale Water & Power to raise water rates by an average of 53% on Jan. 1, 2027, at a City Council public hearing that ended without a decision.
The hearing took place Tuesday, Nov. 10, in the Council Chambers at 613 E. Broadway. It was first set for 6 p.m. on Nov. 3 and was continued to Nov. 10. Speakers objected to the size of the increase and to what they described as a lack of communication with the public.
No vote was taken. The matter is expected back before the Council the following week, according to initial reports.
Glendale Water & Power, known as GWP, said it is proposing updates to water rates to keep pace with rising costs and address ongoing infrastructure needs. The utility has said the proposed rates have not been adopted.
The proposal is moving through a Proposition 218 process. Under it, the increase can be blocked if more than 50% of affected property owners file written protests.
Five increases proposed through 2031
The proposal calls for an average increase of 53% on Jan. 1, 2027. Further increases of 11%, 10%, 10% and 7% would follow on Jan. 1 of each of the next four years, with the last step taking effect on Jan. 1, 2031.
GWP describes the proposal on its page on the proposed water rates. The City of Glendale also maintains a public engagement page on the same subject.
The 53% figure is an average across customers. According to initial reports, the average single-family household would pay about $37 more per month, which would bring the average monthly rate to $111.30 after the Jan. 1, 2027 increase.
Residents describe low awareness of the proposal
Business owners and residents who spoke at the hearing said the public had not been adequately informed. One resident said that not one person they spoke to had heard about the increases until they showed them.
Another resident, who went door to door with a petition, said, “I would say 98% of the people aren’t even aware of it.” That figure is the resident’s own estimate and has not been independently established.
A third resident asked the Council for a postponement. “People can’t afford it. That’s why I want a postponement,” the resident said. “Give us time. It’s not fair.”
Notices mailed in September, sessions held in October
The City Council approved a Proposition 218 notice for the proposed water rate changes earlier this year, according to a city news item. Notices were mailed to customers and property owners in September.
GWP then held public information sessions on Oct. 7, 15, 17 and 24. The Oct. 17 session took place at the Brand Park Library.
The Council’s public hearing followed the mailing and the information sessions. It was the setting for Tuesday night’s objections about the size of the increase and about how the city communicated it.
GWP cites aging pipes and imported water costs
Chisom Obegolu, GWP’s assistant general manager, said at the Oct. 17 session that the increase is needed because the water system’s infrastructure was built 70 to 100 years ago.
Obegolu also said the cost of imported water is rising as Lake Mead and Lake Powell decline. GWP has presented those two pressures, aging infrastructure and the price of imported water, as the reasons for the proposal.
The utility’s long-term planning for the water system is laid out in its Water Master Plan, a 2025-2045 strategic plan to upgrade and maintain the system.
Councilmember speaks about responsibility
Glendale Councilmember Alek Bartrosouf spoke at the same Oct. 17 session. He said, “I’m not here to just do what’s popular or fun; I’m here to be a responsible steward.”
Bartrosouf is one of the Council members who will consider the proposal.
Written protests and the 50% threshold
Proposition 218 gives affected property owners the ability to file written protests against a proposed increase. If more than 50% of affected property owners file protests, the increase can be blocked.
Opponents have said they need about 18,000 signatures. Protests had to be submitted on paper, include the owner’s name, the property address or parcel number and an original signature, and reach the city by Oct. 28 to be processed.
Rates have not been adopted
The Council made no decision Tuesday night, and GWP has said the proposed rates have not been adopted. If approved, the first increase of an average of 53% would take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
The proposal remains pending, and the written-protest threshold remains the mechanism that can block it.
