WLSSD Board Approves 2014 Budget
Duluth, MN- The Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD) Board of Directors approved its 2014 operating and capital budgets at its regular Board meeting last night.
Costs in WLSSD’s 2014 wastewater budget won’t increase over the district’s 2013 budget. In 2012, the WLSSD budget also had a zero percent change; and in 2013, the budget increased only .39 percent.
Solid waste management fees also will remain the same in 2014, the eighth consecutive year without an increase in this fee to residents.
“We are pleased that we are once again able to hold both the solid waste line item tax and the wastewater treatment costs constant. We have achieved this despite the continued escalation in energy and chemical costs and the added challenge associated with flood recovery. We’ve set a budget that reflects a careful balance between maintaining reasonable rates for our customers, improving reliability, and ensuring that both solid waste and wastewater rates remain affordable to local residents and the 17 communities and 4 major industries that we serve.,” said WLSSD Executive Director Marianne Bohren. “Most importantly, we’ve accomplished these cost efficiencies without reducing services or compromising the environmental performance of our facilities.”
Western Lake Superior Sanitary District provides award-winning wastewater and solid waste services within a 530 square mile service area and is a nationally recognized leader in pollution prevention. Governed by a nine-member citizen board, WLSSD is a special purpose subdivision of the State of Minnesota. Its legislative boundaries include the cities of Duluth, Cloquet, Carlton, Scanlon, Wrenshall, Hermantown, Proctor, and Thomson; and the rural townships of Silver Brook, Thomson, Twin Lakes, Canosia, Duluth, Grand Lake, Lakewood, Midway, Rice Lake, and Solway.
For immediate release: 9:00 a.m., Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Contact: Marianne Bohren, Executive Director,
(218) 740-4805
Karen L. Anderson, Director of Community Relations
(218) 740-4776