Highland Village residents will see a small increase on their next utility bill after the City Council on Tuesday night approved adjustments to the wholesale water and wastewater pass-through rates to cover rising costs from the Upper Trinity Regional Water District (UTRWD).
City officials said the UTRWD’s adopted fiscal 2026 rates will result in projected charges of $5.2 million, compared with $5.01 million in anticipated revenue — a shortfall of roughly $181,000. The wholesale pass-through portion of residents’ utility bills will be adjusted to close the gap. The increase, which does not affect the city’s own utility rate portion, is expected to add about $2.50 to $3.50 to the average monthly bill.
Council also approved updates to the City’s Master Fee Schedule for parks and recreation services. Changes include shifting pavilion rentals from full- and half-day pricing to an hourly rate with a daily cap, standardizing overnight camping fees to one year-round rate, and adding pickleball court rental fees. City staff said the adjustments are intended to simplify reservations and maintain competitive pricing with neighboring cities.
During discussion on the city’s relationship with the Denton County Transportation Authority, council members reaffirmed support for the agency and agreed to clarify roles and responsibilities for the city’s DCTA board representative while monitoring service improvements for Highland Village riders.
City Manager Paul Stevens also reminded residents of the modified holiday trash schedule: collections on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day will move one day later, with Thursday routes picked up Friday and Friday routes moved to Saturday.
(Information provided by the City of Highland Village)
