CLINTONVILLE – The Clintonville Common Council approved having the Clintonville Water and Electric Utility to file an application with the Public Service Commission (PSC) of Wisconsin for authority to increase water rates in the city of Clintonville by 3%.
The council approved the filing of the application at its Oct. 13 meeting. Ald. Duke Johnson, Ald. Stephanie Bonikowski, and Ald. Aimee Ebert were absent from the meeting. The rate increase is expected to go into effect Dec. 21 of this year.
Leading the discussion, Ald. Jim Supanich told the council that the city’s water utility is currently running a deficit, and the utility is looking to increase the water rates by 3%.
Board President Greg Rose said that while nobody likes increases to their bills, small increases are necessary.
“If we don’t take these small actions, it will wind up being a big action later,” Rose said. “And we don’t want to be the city in the news with giant rate increases.”
Clintonville Utilities Manager Dave Tichinel said he prefers to file a simplified rate case application with the PSC whenever they are available. He reminded the council that in 2017 and 2018, water rates needed to be increased more than 20% each year.
“It’s the thing to do, small increases that is hardly noticeable, but it does help fund the water and sewer and stuff like that,” Tichinel said. “It’s a lot easier to do it this way than hit them with a 25% or 40% increase all at once.”
According to the simplified rate case application, a full rate case was last completed in Clintonville in 2009. The last simplified rate case was completed in February 2025.
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