KENOSHA, Wis. — For as long as most Kenosha residents can remember, there was one unmistakable sign that their water bill had arrived in the mail: a blue postcard. But over the past couple of months, those familiar postcards have disappeared, replaced by bulky envelopes containing full-page statements. The change has left some residents scratching their heads, particularly as they discover higher payment processing fees and increases in water and sewer rates. Kenosha County Eye reached out to Kenosha Water Utility General Manager Curt Czarnecki, who oversees the utility’s daily operations, to find out what prompted the changes, how much they are costing customers and who is responsible for making these decisions. While Czarnecki manages the utility’s day-to-day operations, major policy and financial decisions fall under the authority of the six-member Kenosha Board of Water Commissioners.
The Board of Water Commissioners consists of Chairperson Dominic Ruffalo, Vice Chairperson Anthony Kennedy, and Commissioners Brandi Ferree, Peni Keeling, Julia Metallo and Bill Siel. These six officials oversee the utility’s policies and major financial decisions, including the previously approved sewer rate increases. Czarnecki, meanwhile, is responsible for administering the utility’s operations and implementing policies. Although not every operational change necessarily requires an individual board vote, the commissioners are the governing body responsible for the utility’s overall direction.
New Billing System Costs Tens Of Thousands More Annually
According to information provided to Kenosha County Eye by Czarnecki, the utility’s transition from postcard bills to full-page statements mailed in envelopes is expected to increase annual printing and mailing expenses by approximately $40,000 to $45,000. After accounting for eliminated printing-related labor, equipment maintenance and outside support costs, the estimated additional annual expense drops to approximately $30,000 to $35,000. With nearly 32,000 customer accounts, that works out to approximately 94 cents to $1.09 per customer annually.
Czarnecki explained that the previous billing system was part of an outdated, internally developed software platform used by the City of Kenosha. City officials were notified in 2021 that support for the system would end, prompting an evaluation of replacement options beginning in 2023. The city solicited proposals in 2024 and ultimately selected Tyler Technologies to provide a new enterprise resource planning system, which included the water utility’s billing functions. The new system uses full-page statements rather than postcards, resulting in the billing change during the summer of 2026.
Previously, utility employees purchased postcard stock, printed bills in-house and mailed them to customers. That process required specialized printing equipment, ongoing maintenance and employees working after normal business hours. Czarnecki said the aging equipment was increasingly difficult to maintain and would have required replacement if postcard billing continued.
The new statements also provide customers with more information, including historical water usage, utility notifications and detailed rate information. According to Czarnecki, the utility eliminated a customer service position through attrition in anticipation of efficiencies from the new software. The system also automates certain tasks that previously required employees to manually review accounts and process adjustments.
Electronic Payment Fees Have Changed — And Some Customers Will Pay More
One of the more significant changes for customers involves electronic payment processing fees. Previously, customers paid a flat $3 fee for credit card, debit card and electronic bank withdrawal transactions. Under the new payment processor, customers using a credit card or a debit card processed as credit are charged 3.5% of their payment, with a $3 minimum. Customers using a PIN-based debit transaction continue paying $3, while electronic checks now cost $1.
For example, a resident paying a $200 utility bill by credit card would now pay an additional $7 processing fee. A customer paying a $300 bill would pay $10.50. Under the previous system, both transactions would have cost $3. That means customers making larger payments by credit card could see substantially higher processing fees, even though the underlying utility charges remain the same.
Czarnecki emphasized that Kenosha Water Utility does not keep any of the processing fees. Instead, the charges are passed directly to the payment processor. He explained that the utility is not currently authorized by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to absorb those expenses through its approved rate structure.
The Board of Water Commissioners will provide direction on whether electronic payment processing costs should be incorporated into the utility’s rate structure during its next conventional rate case submitted to the Public Service Commission. Such a change could potentially alter how those expenses are distributed among customers, rather than requiring individuals to pay a separate processing fee when making certain electronic payments.
Currently, customers cannot make electronic payments directly through the utility without incurring a processing fee. However, they can still avoid fees by mailing a check, using designated payment drop-off locations or paying with cash or a check at the Kenosha Water Utility Water Service Center or City Municipal Building. Some financial institutions also offer online bill payment services without charging customers additional fees.
Sewer Rates Increased Approximately 8.5%, Water Rates Another 3%
The redesigned statements are arriving during a year in which Kenosha residents have also experienced increases in water and sewer rates. According to Czarnecki, three separate utility rate increases have been reflected on customers’ bills during 2026, although not all were approved by the Board of Water Commissioners.
The first involved sanitary sewer charges, which increased approximately 8.5% on January 1, 2026. That increase was part of a five-year phased implementation previously approved by the Board of Water Commissioners following a comprehensive sewer rate study. The board authorized the study in February 2022 because the utility had not completed a full sewer rate study and adjustment since 2006, and its last cost-of-living adjustment occurred in 2015.
The study determined that a 37% rate increase was necessary to make the sanitary sewer enterprise fund financially sustainable. Rather than impose the entire increase at once, commissioners approved a five-year implementation schedule that incorporated historical inflationary figures. The first phase took effect in 2023, making the January 2026 increase the fourth year of the plan.
Separately, water rates increased 3% effective August 4, 2026. Czarnecki explained that the utility qualified for a simplified water rate increase through the Public Service Commission based on its annual financial reporting. This type of adjustment allows utilities to implement smaller inflation-related increases rather than waiting for larger rate changes through a conventional rate proceeding.
A third increase involved stormwater charges. Although those charges appear on the same utility bills, the Storm Water Utility is a separate enterprise fund operated by the City of Kenosha rather than Kenosha Water Utility. Czarnecki explained that stormwater rate increases are handled through the city’s Storm Water Utility Committee and Common Council.
What’s That Fire Protection Charge On Your Bill?
Another source of confusion involves a charge identified as “public fire protection” on the redesigned statements. Some residents have questioned whether the utility recently began charging them for fire department services or introduced an entirely new fee.
According to Czarnecki, the public fire protection charge is nothing new. He said the charge predates his 18-year tenure with the utility and that he located documentation showing it existed at least as far back as 1992, possibly longer. The redesigned statements simply provide enough space to display a more detailed breakdown of existing charges, making the public fire protection fee more visible than it was on the old postcards.
Czarnecki said no new fees were implemented simply because of the redesigned billing format. However, the increased visibility of existing charges, combined with actual increases in water and sewer rates and changes to payment processing fees, has led some customers to question why their bills look different and why certain payments cost more.
Bottom Row: Aldermen Brandi Feree, Julia Metallo and Bill Siel
Who Makes The Decisions At Kenosha Water Utility?
While Czarnecki serves as general manager and is responsible for the utility’s daily operations, the Board of Water Commissioners is the governing body overseeing its major policies and financial decisions. The six commissioners are Chairperson Dominic Ruffalo, Vice Chairperson Anthony Kennedy, Brandi Ferree, Peni Keeling, Julia Metallo and Bill Siel.
The board previously approved the five-year sanitary sewer rate increase that continues affecting customers in 2026. Commissioners will also provide direction concerning whether electronic payment processing expenses should eventually be incorporated into the utility’s rate structure. Other changes, including the citywide software replacement and associated billing format, involve operational and administrative decisions that should not automatically be attributed to an individual commissioner without documentation of the specific approval.
Czarnecki responded to Kenosha County Eye’s questions with detailed explanations concerning the billing changes, their costs, the history of the rate increases and the available payment options. He also outlined operational efficiencies associated with the new software, including reduced manual processing, the elimination of outdated printing equipment and the decision not to replace a departing employee.
For residents frustrated with higher bills and additional payment expenses, the distinction between the utility’s management and its governing board is important. Czarnecki administers the utility, but the Board of Water Commissioners makes major policy decisions and has already approved the multiyear sewer rate increases that continue affecting Kenosha customers. The commissioners will also have a role in determining how electronic payment processing costs are handled in the future.
