A utility rate increase of nearly 50% could be on the way for Glendale as many people across Southern California try to recover from high summer electricity bills.
Glendale Water & Power said it needs to raise rates to fund a major overhaul of its aging infrastructure, but some customers said they will try to block the increase.
Gregorev Grigoryan and others were going door to door with a petition, warning people about the city’s proposal.
“I would say 98% of the people aren’t even aware of it,” he said. “Glendale Water & Power holds community meetings and stuff, but not everyone knows about it.”
The city’s nonprofit utility is proposing five years of rate adjustments that would take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
The utility’s website provides details of the proposal. The tables outlining the proposed changes can be confusing, but the utility also offers a calculator that customers can use to estimate their bills. Glendale Water and Power said the rate increases are necessary to improve infrastructure and keep up with rising water-purchasing costs.
Opponents of the proposal said they are pushing back against the rate increases using a provision of Proposition 218, which would require them to gather at least 18,000 signatures.
“People can’t afford it,” said Beth Brooks, another resident opposed to the proposal. “That’s why I want a postponement. Give us time. It’s not fair.”
The rate increase is scheduled for a vote Nov. 3.
Glendale Water & Power has held a series of public information sessions about the proposal. The next and final scheduled public hearing is set for Saturday, Oct. 24, at 10 a.m.
