Beech Grove residents will begin paying an extra $11.25 every month on their sewer and stormwater bills.
The higher bills were approved by the Beech Grove Common Council during a meeting on Aug. 4.
Part of that money will pay to maintain underground storm pipes and catch basins to help prevent flooding and address water quality.
The rest will go to improve the finances of the Beech Grove-owned sewer system. Beech Grove’s utility is an intermediary that collects payments from residents for wastewater treatment services, then pays the utility company Citizens Energy Group.
While Beech Grove has faced larger bills from Citizens Energy, the city hadn’t raised the bills for residents in four years. Beech Grove had been using its sewer utility emergency fund, which significantly drained its fund and could have prevented the southside city from responding to broken pipes and other sewer emergencies.
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Similarly, Beech Grove had capped its stormwater rates since 2018.
But without raising those rates, officials said, Beech Grove faced a $1.7 million shortfall and weaker infrastructure.
During the council meeting this week, Clerk-Treasurer Samantha Stratton reminded councilors that some of them “campaigned on the promise of protecting our city’s essential services.”
“A vote against the rate increase contradicts this commitment,” Stratton said during the meeting. “This is not simply about keeping rates the same, it’s about safeguarding the utility and ensuring the financial stability of Beech Grove.”
Two councilors — Dan McMillan and Michael Hemmelgarn — voted against the stormwater increase. McMillan also voted against the sewer increase.
The ordinance was amended to remove a rate hike that would have increased sewer fees again in September 2026. Now the council is expected to discuss rates for summer 2026 within the next six months.
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Mirror Indy reporter Elizabeth Gabriel covers the south side of Marion County. Contact her at elizabeth.gabriel@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X at @_elizabethgabs.
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