Tax & Utility Rates
City Tax Rates for FY26 (Fiscal Year End June 30, 2026)
Taxes are payable in two installments on Sept. 15 and March 16.
| Entity | Tax Rate |
|---|---|
| Economic Development | $ 0.0100 |
| General | $ 1.0080 |
| Local Agreement Rate | $ 0.0022 |
| Total Municipal Rate | $ 1.0202 |
| Non-Homestead Education Rate | $ 2.2376 |
| Homestead Education Rate | $ 2.0194 |
Utility Rates
FY26 Rates effective through June 30, 2026 (June 2026 bill).
FY27 Rates Effective July 1, 2026 (beginning with October 2026 bill)
| Rate: | Current FY26 Rates | FY27 Rates |
|---|---|---|
| Water Usage Rate | $0.0300 / cubic foot | $0.0320 / cubic foot |
| Water Annual Fixed Charge | $173.64 / year | $183.44 / year |
| Wastewater Treatment Usage Rate | $0.0155 / cubic foot | $0.0170 / cubic foot |
| Wastewater Treatment Annual Fixed Charge | $166.17 / year | $178.49 / year |
| Sanitation Usage Rate | $0.0090 / cubic foot | $0.0100 / cubic foot |
| Sanitation Annual Fixed Charge | $155.12 / year | $168.83 / year |
| Large Water User Rate | $0.167 / 1,000 gallons | $0.158 / 1,000 gallons |
| Wastewater Treatment Wholesale Rate | $4.327 / 1,000 gallons | $4.315 / 1,000 gallons |
| Stormwater Equivalent Residential Unit Rate | $54.32 / ERU / year | $88.91 / ERU / year |
Detailed explanation of your City utility bill
Effective July 1, 2020, a $35 flat fee will be applied to all interim bill requests. This includes interim bill requests for the sale of property or for a change of tenant in rental properties.
Beginning in calendar year 2021, utility charges will be billed three times per year (triannually). Each bill will include four months of usage charges and four months of fixed charges.
Effective July 1, 2025, the Stormwater charge will be added to the tri-annual utility bill. More information on the Stormwater Utility can be found at https://www.essexjunction.org/departments/stormwater.
Automatic Payment Information
Would you like to pay your utilities or taxes automatically? The Finance Department offers a direct debit program to your authorized checking or savings account on the due date. Please note that a $25 fee will be applied for any returned payments. The City reserves the right to unenroll participants from the automatic payment program at any time, with notice, for returned payments as a result of insufficient funds, account closure, etc.
To enroll, please complete one or both of the following forms. Please note that in order to enroll for both taxes and utilities, you must fill out both forms.