The Odessa Board of Aldermen approved a bill providing a refund for residents impacted by the error found in the city’s Energy Cost Adjustment formula during its meeting on Wednesday, March 25th.

City staff learned earlier this month that the city’s ECA formula didn’t align with the city’s ordinance, which potentially led to more charges on a customer’s utility bill. Public Information Coordinator Leslie Shier explained that residents impacted by this error will be refunded credits on their accounts, or a check if they no longer reside in the city.

 

The amount of the refund will be dependent on each customer’s utility bill and how long they’ve lived in the city. Residents can opt in here beginning on March 30th.

In other news, the board adopted the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 budget, which takes effect April 1st. The proposed total budget is $23,706,554, which represents an increase of 7.28 percent compared to the 2025-26 adopted budget. The city’s 2027-2027 Fee Schedule and five-year Capital Improvement Plan were also approved by the board Wednesday evening.

The Odessa Board of Aldermen will next meet on Monday, April 13th.