$12.9M Apache Junction Sewer District budget approved

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

The nearly $13 million fiscal year 2025-26 budget recently approved for the Apache Junction Sewer District includes 2% wastewater service fee increases.

The Apache Junction Sewer District Board on June 24 voted 4-0 to approve the district’s $12.9 million budget and to establish proposed rates, fees and charges beginning July 1, 2025. Vice Chairman Jim Reynolds was absent.

No one attended a public hearing prior to the vote to speak in favor of or against the budget.

“Have there been any phone calls, letters or in-person contact?” Chairwoman Kathleen Waldron asked during the public hearing.

“No,” a sewer district staff member said.

“Let the record show no one has written, called or showed up for the hearing,” Waldron said.

The cost of single-family service is to increase 2.04% from the fiscal year 2025 monthly minimum of $46.60 to $47.55 in fiscal year 2026, according to a sewer district document.

Connection fees also are increasing. For single-family homes, it is to increase $600, about 13.79%, to $4,950.

Superstition Mountains Community Facilities District No. 1 — now known as the Apache Junction Sewer District — was formed by Apache Junction City Council in July 1992.

At its start-up in January 1996, the district’s collection system served 1,000 customers. Today, its collection system serves more than 7,000 customers and includes more than 115 miles of pipe and a lift station to convey wastewater to its water reclamation facility. The district’s service area has grown from 17 square miles to more than 50 square miles, according to its website.

Board members to the sewer district are appointed by the Apache Junction City Council.

Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.