In a series of split votes Monday night, city commissioners agreed to inflationary water- and sewer-rate increases for Helena customers.

The 4.1 percent increases in both the water and wastewater rates will take effect Nov. 1 and together raise average rates by $22.81 annually.

Commissioners spent some time discussing the increases and disagreed with each other several times.

They had considered raising the sewer rate by as much as 15.7 percent and the water rate by as much as 5 percent. Commissioner Alan Peura had proposed and was the sole supporter of the steeper increases Monday night.

His goal in the past two budget years has been to raise city rates to levels where they would support about half of the city's ongoing infrastructure improvement and replacement programs.

"I think it's important that we maintain some fiscal responsibility across our utilities," Peura said. "It's important that we take care of this business, these assets."

Those maintenance and replacement programs, Peura said, are responsible for keeping millions of dollars' worth of infrastructure in good working order.

But other commissioners passed on the higher increases for various reasons.

Commissioner Sandy Oitzinger called the 50 percent funding level for the capital programs an "arbitrary goal" and said she believed city utilities could get by with less funding. Peura said the programs are based on specific data and said his goal isn't arbitrary. The two commissioners agreed to disagree.

Oitzinger and Commissioner Matt Elsaesser also noted increasing household costs and said they wanted to limit the impact of city fees on Helenans' pocketbooks.

Commissioner Paul Cartwright noted the public-safety mill levy on the city's November ballot and suggested that the police and fire departments had more significant funding needs than the utilities in question.

Mayor Jim Smith disagreed. "I'm just not convinced that we've got that much to catch up on in those (public safety) departments," he said.

Oitzinger called the public-safety levy "critically important."

Elsaesser and Oitzinger voted against the inflationary increases. Elsaesser recommended a 2 percent increase in the sewer rate, which was shot down by Smith, Peura and Cartwright.

Commissioners earlier this year agreed to raise storm-water rates by 6.35 percent, up street maintenance fees by 4.1 percent and increase residential and commercial garbage rates by 2.81 percent.

Reporter Larry Kline: 447-4075 or larry.kline@helenair.com