WARRENSBURG — Warrensburg voters voted “yes” for the issuance of sewer revenue bonds on the special election ballot on Tuesday, Aug. 8.
Of the 611 total votes cast, there were 486 “yes” votes and 125 “no” votes.
Of the more than 9,000 registered voters in Warrensburg, 611 voted in the election, a 6.12% voter turnout.
Only registered voters living in Warrensburg city limits were eligible to vote on the measure, so only one polling location was available at the Elks Lodge.
The issuance of the sewer revenue bonds will allow the City of Warrensburg to use up to $22 million in sewer revenue bonds to make improvements to the two treatment plants the city owns and operates. These bonds will be used to increase the treatment capacity of the plants and improve the quality of the water being discharged into the U.S. waterways.
"We thank the citizens of Warrensburg for their support and confidence in their city governance demonstrated on Tuesday, Aug. 8," City Manager Danielle Dulin told the Star-Journal after the election. "The application must include a facility plan and documentation of an acceptable debt instrument. With 79% of voters authorizing the issuance of sewer revenue bonds for plant upgrades and expansions, we now have that documentation to include in our application."
The application deadline for the State Revolving Fund financial opportunity offered by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources is March 1.
Dulin said both plants were expected to require upgrades since the last significant upgrades in 2009.
In 2020, the estimated cost for this project was around $12 million and in 2022, the estimate increased to around $22 million.
Dulin said the impact on customers’ billing will be very minimal. A typical house household of four individuals uses around 4,500 gallons of water. In 2023, the typical sewer bill for a four-person household is $53 per month. The expected bill for 2025 would increase to $56 per month.
The revenue to pay for these bonds is already included in the sewer rate structure approved by the Warrensburg City Council annually. The interest rate for SRF bonds is anticipated to be 1-1.75%, according to Dulin.
