Jamestown Board of Public Utilities General Manager David Leathers shares budget information with Jamestown City Council (December 15, 2025)
Water rates for Jamestown Board of Public Utilities customers will increase 7.5% in 2026 along with a new fee to use the Yard Waste Site.
BPU General Manager David Leathers gave an update on the utility’s budget to City Council Monday night.
He said a 10% increase in the District Heat rate went into effect November 1 and the Water division’s increase will go into effect January 1. Leathers said the BPU applied for an electric rate increase in July with the State Public Service Commission. He said they hope a decision will be made by the end of December. If approved, the rate increase of just under 10% would go into effect on January 1. Leathers said there has not been a rate increase since 2016.
He added there may be an additional increase in the electric bill due to the BPU receiving a hydropower allocation. Leathers said the New York Power Authority had requested its first rate increase since 2014 about a year ago that was stopped by Governor Kathy Hochul for being excessive, “ They’ve now put a new plan forward this fall, and may have a six year rate plan that will start April 1 of 2026 so when you look at the electric bill, you know there’s some concerns with higher costs that we work hard to manage, but that is something that our customers will see.”
Leathers said the solid waste division will have a new fee for those who wish to use the Yard Waste Site. Leathers said the Residential Yard Waste Sticker will now cost $20, “…because that helped us avoid a solid waste rate increase. Just to note, the solid waste rate in 2010 was $12.10 a month. In 2026, if you recycle once in a billing period, your charge is $13.50 a month. So, over that 16 year period, rates for solid waste have gone up about point-7% per year.”
Leathers said there is no rate increase for the Solid Waste and Wastewater Divisions.
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