While Avondale City Council last month approved a 15 percent water rate hike, residents now will see about a 7.5 percent increase starting mid-March.

The 15 percent plan was originally proposed because the water and sewer rates haven’t increased since 2009, and officials said the hike is needed to update aged infrastructure.

Avondale Finance Director Abbe Yacoben said a number of residents came to the council meeting to say what they thought about the rate increase.

“And the consistent message was we understand the need for a rate increase, there hasn’t been one since 2009," Yacoben, who was at the meeting, said. "But please increase it a little bit slower. And it was a 5-2 vote and they mostly agreed with that.”

That plan wasn’t met fondly by residents, and Yacoben said that while the 15 percent plan would have helped the city reach their cash goal faster, the city responded to what the community wanted.

“I mean we understand that when you first implement a reserve policy you don’t get there overnight and we need to do what the council thinks is right for the residents,” she said.

Council members voted to approve the original proposal of a smaller, 6 percent sewer rate increase each year until 2021.

Information on all the details, costs and what the rate money will go toward can be found on Avondale's website.