Grant County PUD Readjust 2023 Budget Due to Inflation

Grant County PUD are reassessing their overall budget for 2023 due to inflation increasing maintenance costs.

On Sep. 30, Grant County PUD board of commissioners were presented with the proposed 2023 budget. 

Senior Manager of Financial Planning and Analysis for the Grant County PUD, John Mertlich, explained how inflation may incur an 8.7 percent increase in maintenance costs.

“The rising cost of material and services and labor are contributing to about 68% of the Operations and Maintenance budget increase,” Mertlich said.

In 2022, Grant PUD's adopted operations-and-maintenance budget was $156.9 million. Now the 2023 budget is projected to be $191.2 million. 

A 2 percent retail rate increase was already included in the budget, which commissioners hope may help them meet rising utility costs. Commissioners asked Mertlich if he could provide more information as to how a 3 percent increase may affect the budget.

Commissioners hope that by raising revenues up to $95.2 million, then total expenditures will be budgeted at $316.8 million and remain only somewhat higher than last year's budget at $309 million.

The 2023 budget will also include larger projects such as upgrades to the Priest Rapid Dams embankments and generating units, along with $70 million in funding for 10 power and fiber service improvement projects.

There will be three public hearings scheduled for October:

• Oct. 11: there will be two hearings, an in-person one at 2 p.m. at the Grant PUD Headquarters Commission room, and a virtual hearing at 6 p.m.
• Oct. 13: an in-person meeting held at the Port of Quincy Boardroom at 6 p.m.