WARREN — The Trumbull County commissioners unanimously approved a contentious water-rate increase Thursday, implementing a flat $11.75 per 1,000 gallons across all county districts — the first comprehensive rate adjustment in 10 years as the system faces financial ruin.

Records show the department has operated at a loss since 2019, with last year’s $1.5 million deficit projected to go to $1.6 million this year.

Bob Maiorano, comptroller at the county’s sanitary department, outlined a ticking clock for the water system. During Thursday’s deliberations, Mariano warned commissioners

“If we do nothing, the sanitary sewer department will run out of money to operate sometime in May,” he said.

Commissioner Rick Hernandez confirmed stating, “We have to cover those bills. … We can’t allow the department to just go belly up.”

“At current rates, we’d exhaust our reserves by mid-May,” Maiorano said.

The approved rate falls 25 cents short of the $12 per 1,000 gallons engineers said was needed to break even, but includes unprecedented oversight measures to restore public trust.

Commissioner Tony Bernard, who spearheaded the compromise, insisted on a state performance audit — the first in the water department’s 58-year history — alongside a new 12-member Water Advisory Council with representatives from each township and city in the county system.

“We’re not rubber-stamping increases,” Bernard said. “This audit will show whether we’re looking at inefficiencies or if this is simply the true cost of water in 2025.”

His original six-month review proposal was extended to a full year after commissioners raised concerns about seasonal usage variations skewing the data.

The discussion brought up talk of years of systemic neglect, with Commissioner Denny Malloy detailing how $15 million in critical maintenance had been deferred since 2015.

“Past boards kicked this can down the road for 15 years,” Malloy said during Thursday’s discussion. “Now we’re paying the price for short-term thinking.”

Former Howland Township Administrator Darlene St. George, who attended Thursday’s meeting, said the citizen oversight panel was crucial for community buy-in. “When residents see their neighbors reviewing these numbers, they’ll understand this isn’t arbitrary,” she said.

The sentiment echoed a turning point in Tuesday’s workshop, where township leaders from across the county reviewed the same financial data and reached a consensus on the need for action.

For the average household using 4,000 gallons monthly, bills will rise from

38 to 47 — still below the $52 average in neighboring Mahoning County. Low-income residents and seniors will receive a 20% discount through the county’s Homestead program.

Hernandez, initially skeptical, said the unified front from township leaders proved decisive.

“When trustees from every district saw the same numbers and reached the same conclusion, that told me everything,” he said, referencing a 2022 water study by MS Consultants that recommended gradual increases, advice ignored until now.

Maiorano cautioned that even with the increase, challenges loom.

“This stops the bleeding, but we’re still playing catch-up,” he said, noting the next decade will require tough choices about replacing pipes installed during the 1960s. The advisory council will hold its first meeting June 10 at the Sanitary Engineer’s office, while the Ohio Auditor’s performance audit begins in July and is expected to take eight months.

The new rates take effect with April bills, marking a pivotal moment for a system that commissioners say can no longer afford political delays.

“This isn’t a tax — it’s the actual cost of the water we’re providing,” Malloy said. “The science, not elections, should dictate these numbers.”

In other business commissioners:

• Approved $439,940 for relocating water lines as part of the State Route 46 improvement project, with costs shared with ODOT.

• Allocated $718,847 in ARPA funds for improvements including a new public address system and 4-H building renovations.