Fiscal responsibility, fluoride response drive Lee County Utilities budget approval

LEESBURG — The Lee County Utilities Authority on Wednesday approved a proposed FY 2026-27 budget that officials described as a carefully structured investment in staffing, infrastructure reliability and regulatory compliance, while also offering an unusually transparent look into how the utility responded internally to the county’s recent fluoride compliance issue.

During the meeting, General Manager Chris Boswell repeatedly emphasized that the authority’s proposed 3.5% rate increase was not driven by expansionary spending or discretionary projects, but by operational necessity tied to growth, regulatory demands and what he described as a critical shortage of certified water and wastewater operators.

“The budget is need-based, not optional,” Boswell told board members as he outlined the authority’s operational challenges and long-term planning strategy.

The utility currently serves approximately 30,000 residents daily through its water and sewer systems and has experienced substantial growth pressures in recent years without significant staffing expansion. Boswell noted the authority has not added a new full-time position in roughly five years despite increasing infrastructure demands and heightened state regulatory requirements.

Rather than framing the recent fluoride exceedance as an isolated mistake, Boswell openly acknowledged during the meeting that the incident exposed structural vulnerabilities within the utility’s staffing model and operational oversight procedures.

Boswell explained that the authority currently relies on only four certified operators to oversee critical testing, monitoring and operational adjustments for the entire county system. In response to the fluoride issue, the authority immediately restructured internal responsibilities so that only certified operators were permitted to conduct testing and make operational changes to the system.

The authority also hired retired utility professional Frank Banks to conduct an independent review of field operations, staffing structures and training procedures. Boswell distributed portions of Banks’ operational review during the meeting and said the consultant’s recommendations reinforced the need for additional certified personnel and expanded operational oversight.

Rather than minimizing the issue publicly, board discussions reflected an approach focused on procedural correction, long-term compliance and operational accountability.

Boswell told board members the authority’s current staffing levels no longer align with the size and complexity of Lee County’s growing utility infrastructure, which now includes millions of dollars in water production and treatment assets. 

The proposed budget includes funding for three additional certified operator positions, expanded continuing education requirements and two additional operational vehicles. Boswell said the utility intends to begin recruiting immediately following the required public advertising period tied to the rate adjustment process.

Board members questioned Boswell extensively about staffing vulnerabilities, certification requirements and contingency planning should certified employees become unavailable because of illness, emergencies or vacations.

Boswell acknowledged that the system’s limited number of certified operators presents operational risk.

“Regulatory agencies require a water and wastewater operator for our size system — at least two of them,” Boswell said, explaining that even minimum staffing requirements leave little margin for unexpected absences.

The utility currently employs seven full-time field workers and three part-time workers, including one retired certified operator working part-time support.

Despite the additional staffing and operational investments, officials stressed repeatedly that the authority has maintained comparatively conservative financial practices for years.

Boswell said Lee County’s water and sewer rates remain generally in line with — and in some cases lower than — similarly sized and rapidly growing Georgia communities. He referenced statewide Georgia Environmental Finance Authority benchmarking data showing the county’s rate structure remains competitive.

The proposed increase would raise the standard residential water base fee from $21 to approximately $21.76 monthly. Average residential customer increases discussed during the meeting generally ranged from roughly $1.75 to $3 on their bill per month depending on usage levels.

Board discussions also highlighted the authority’s broader financial management approach.

Debt service currently represents the utility’s single largest expense category at approximately 35% of the operating budget. However, Boswell noted the authority recently reduced annual debt obligations by approximately $66,000 through refinancing actions approved by the board earlier this year.

The budget itself was developed using three years of historical revenue and expenditure trends, with officials repeatedly emphasizing that the authority attempted to avoid unnecessary rate increases whenever possible.

In addition to approving the budget, the board also advanced several major infrastructure items that further illustrated the utility’s emphasis on long-term planning and regulatory compliance.

The authority approved moving forward with engineering services related to a FEMA- and GEMA-funded backup generator resiliency project valued at roughly $770,000. The project includes eight generators and transfer switches intended to strengthen system reliability during emergencies and power outages.

Boswell explained that the utility deliberately handled portions of the project procurement process internally to reduce costs before seeking engineering assistance for installation oversight and construction management.

The board unanimously approved the budget and associated rate adjustments.