CLAYTON — It’s likely going to cost more to live in town in the year ahead.

The Town Council on Tuesday was to consider a budget that raised rates for electricity, water, sewer and garbage collection. And even a tax increase wasn’t off the table, eleelectricthough interim Town Manager Rich Cappola had not recommended one.

“The cost of everything that we do these days is going up,” Cappola told the council earlier this month.

He was referring specifically to electricity, where he recommended a 7% increase, but the interim manager could have been talking about other town services. “All the things that are necessary — whether it’s people, materials, equipment — the cost of everything right now is going up,” Cappola said.

The typical Clayton household uses 966 kilowatt hours a month, the interim manager noted. At 7%, that household would see its monthly electricity bill climb from $130.35 to $139.48, an increase of $9.13 a month, or $109.56 a year.

“The growing capital-project needs are really putting some pressure on needing to be able to generate additional revenue to cover those projects,” Cappola added.

Clayton residents would also pay more for water and sewer in the year ahead. Sewer, in particular, would cost substantially more.

What’s driving the rate increases there?

“No. 1 is the water-reclamation facility, the wastewater-treatment facility, the project cost,” said Prabha Kumar of Black & Veatch, the town’s consultant on water and sewer matters. “As you’re all aware, that cost is really increasing.”

No. 2 is the water Clayton buys from the county, Kumar said. “The township is reliant on buying water, and that cost is also going up,” she said.

For the year starting July 1, Clayton residents can expect to pay 7% more for water and 22.3% more for sewer. That would raise the typical monthly water bill from $37.57 to $40.20, an increase of $2.63. The typical sewer bill, meanwhile, would jump from $50.90 to $62.25, an increase of $11.35.

Together, the typical water and sewer bill in Clayton would climb from $88.47 to $102.45, an increase of $13.98 a month, or $167.76 a year.

And increases in water and sewer rates wouldn’t end after one year. Black & Veatch recommends water rate increases of 7% every year through fiscal year 2027-28. And it recommends sewer increases of:

• 27% in fiscal 2023-24.

• 26.5% in 2024-25.

• 6.5% in 2025-26.

• And 6% in 2026-27 and 2027-28.

Finally, the monthly cost of garbage collection would grow from $20.50 to $22.50, an increase of $2, or 9.75%.

Combined, the increases in electricity, water, sewer and garbage collection would cost the typical household an extra $301.32 a year.