The Seward City Council made electric, water and wastewater rate increases included in its recently approved 2026-27 budget official Oct. 6.
Area residents will see a 3.4% increase for electric services when they are billed for the first full billing period of October. Municipal water rates and wastewater rates will each increase 3.0%.
Increases also apply to commercial, general service and large power customers, which have different base and usage rates.
But the council ordinance on electrical service eliminates a large power economic development customer rate that was implemented in January 2025. That had been available to customers with a monthly demand of 1,000 kilowatts or more who had a written service agreement with the city and Nebraska Public Power District.
The water service rates are designed for rural and urban general rates and an urban industrial service rate based on the number of cubic feet of water used.
Residential wastewater rates are based on water usage, the average consumption of water billed in January, February and March. General services rates, which were formerly called commercial rates, are based on the number of meters involved and the monthly usage, while a large general service rate is applied to monitored use of the system.
Increased rates in those areas reflect increased costs and the city’s efforts to replace the wastewater treatment plant and plans to expand capacity for the water treatment plant in the future.
City Clerk and Human Resources Director Derek Bargmann, who presented the rate increase information because City Administrator Greg Butcher was absent, also reminded council members that Seward residents will be facing periodic rate increases for electricity in the coming years related to the Norris Public Power District’s efforts to expand its capacity for its customers.
“This is the beginning of multiple price increases,” he said.
Another ordinance addressed by the council provides a 3.5% cost of living increase to all city staff, as budgeted.
The personnel actions put before the council also included creation of three positions – lead equipment operator, deputy city clerk/payroll specialist, and on-call snow plow driver – and the elimination of a clubhouse bartender position and changes to other job titles.
Bargmann said the city tries to group changes to payroll related items for efficiency and also presented a revised organizational chart for employees and a revised job description for the police chief. The police chief’s job description, like those for other department leadership, is scheduled for review every five years.
In other action on Oct. 6, the council:
• Approved a $11,990 change order for Van Kirk Bros. Contracting Inc. for the metering manhole project related to DARI LLC and the city’s wastewater infrastructure.
• Adopted a revised policy statement to establish guidelines and directions for a fleet safety program covering driver qualifications, safe operation of city vehicles and vehicle maintenance.
• Approved updates to the city’s return-to-work program for any employee unable to perform their regular job duties as a result of workplace injuries, which could include regular, modified, alternate, or transitional work assignments.
