Sewer rates in Niles Township are set to increase in July.

The Niles Charter Township Board approved 7-0 an increase of $2.50 per residential equivalent unit at Monday’s regular meeting.

Treasurer Jim Ringler said the City of Niles, which treats all of the township’s sewage, raised its sewer rates in April.

Ringler said Niles Township raised its rates to reflect the increase from the City of Niles and to cover maintenance costs.

“I’ve always been an advocate to try to maintain as low of rates as possible,” Ringler said. “However… it is prudent to have a well-funded maintenance reserve fund, and it isn’t funded nearly as it should be.”

A residential unit is now $22.50 but will increase to $25 at the next billing cycle.

Ringler said many similar municipalities charge around $65 for a residential unit.

“We are still, if not the lowest, probably the next to the lowest in the area,” Ringler said.

In other business, the township approved a new agreement with the local 2428 firefighters union. The new agreement is for two years, through Dec. 31, 2014, and includes a pay rate increase of 1 percent for the rest of 2013 and a 2 percent increase for 2014.

A motion to approve a 2.5 percent pay raise for non-union township employees was tabled until the June meeting.