MARLIN, Texas (KXXV) — “This is ridiculous, we are throwing away money for the city,” Marlin resident Dustin Ulmer said.

At Tuesday’s city council meeting, council members discussed whether to raise water prices by 25%.

“This is part of getting our revenue back on track,” Marlin City Manager Elza Daviss said.

Daviss explained that lowering the minimum usage from 0-4,000 gallons to 0-2,000 gallons would put the city in a better financial position, noting that this is the average rate for other local cities.

“Compared to other cities, we are still outside the 4,000-gallon norm,” Daviss explained.

But some neighbors disagree.

“A 25% increase is a lot of money, not everyone can afford it,” Ulmer said.

25 News A resident said that increasing prices should not be an option when there are constant water problems across the city.

“I still get plenty of water and I want to buy a house in Falls County, I have expressed this to many people. I love Marlin, I love Falls County, but I feel like there’s no hope at this point because 25% is such a huge amount, our water rates are already high,” Ulmer said.

Some council members also oppose the rate change.

“I understand, but I’m thinking about these poor people here in Marlin, Texas. They struggle every day to pay for what you have now. Is there another way we can do this?” asked council member Scottie Henderson.

After more than 15 minutes of deliberation, the council recently decided to conduct a rate study for the city that will help them determine appropriate water rates for our neighbors.

“The city has bills to pay and I’m trying to make sure we can pay our bills,” Daviss said.

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