County justifies spike with needs of a growing population, new infrastructure in DeSoto, and necessity to charge for online payments.
By Noah Vinsky
Original Air Date: September 5, 2025
Host: The cost of living in the area keeps rising. The latest: If you live in unincorporated Sarasota County, expect to pay nearly 10% more for your water bill. Low-income households will be most affected by the combination of a water rate hike and a convenience fee for online payment. WSLR’s Noah Vinsky reports.
Noah Vinsky: The Sarasota County Commission announced a 2.9% convenience fee added onto online utility payments last Tuesday. The county previously absorbed the cost of online processing.
Now it’s passing that cost onto residents, which the county says will save it over $3 million a year. The next day, commissioners doubled down on the increase, voting to hike water rates by 6.4%.
Peace River Reservoir
Public Utilities Director Brooke Bailey says the increase is driven by the Peace River Treatment Expansion, a $300 million project that will bring more water from DeSoto County to rapidly sprawling areas of Sarasota County. The county utility estimates the changes will add about $6 to residents’ typical monthly water bills.
Commissioner Mark Smith says the rate hikes are an investment in the county’s future.
Mark Smith
Mark Smith: It’s not lost on me that we’re all paying for it. But we’ll pay more now and have the water later. It’s a very important investment that we’re making.
NV: The rising water charges come on top of higher sewage fees. Effective October first, Sarasota County will raise the annual wastewater rate by 5%. The county commission enacted a 5% annual wastewater rate increase through 2028.
Costly storms and increased development are making utilities more expensive for Floridians. Florida Power and Light is pushing for a multi-billion dollar rate hike that could tack about an extra $18 to a customer’s monthly electric bill.
Noah Vinsky for WSLR News.
WSLR News aims to keep the local community informed with our 1/2 hour local news show, quarterly newspaper and social media feeds. The local news broadcast airs on Wednesdays and Fridays at 6pm.
