Even in the midst of a snowstorm, the show, or rather, the meeting, must go on.

On Monday, the Dowagiac City Council approved of an increase to the city’s electric and sewage rates, of 1.75 percent and 2 percent respectively. All but two of the council members were present at the meeting, who passed the resolution for the hikes by a unanimous vote.

The increase is the first adjustment the city has made to its utility rate in two years.

The city’s water rates were not adjusted for this year, as the city reported that they will be able to maintain their current usage without increasing costs.

While no one is ever happy to pay more money for power or plumbing needs, the increases are necessary to keep the city’s budget balanced.

The increase to the city’s electric rate is lower than the city had originally anticipated, as they had expected to increase it by 2.5 percent. While that’s not much of a silver lining to people who would rather see their payments go the other way, it is something to consider.

Opinions expressed are those of the editorial board consisting of Publisher Michael Caldwell and editors Craig Haupert, Ambrosia Neldon, Ted Yoakum and Scott Novak.