On Tuesday night, the Board of Selectmen approved new water and sewer rates. The new rates include a two and a half percent increase for water rates and for the base sewer rate. Sewer rates will also see increases by tier.

These rates go into effect immediately, so residents can expect to see those changes on their next bills.

The first tier will be level funded, the second tier will see a 10 percent increase in rates and the third tier would see a 15 percent increased in rates.

Families with an average of two and a half people fall under the first tier, families with an average of five people fall under the second tier and any families that average larger than that will fall under tier three.

"The vast majority of Marion residents fall into the first tier, so we're trying to keep it as stable as possible," town administrator Paul Dawson said. "Higher end users are mainly larger households or commercial operations."

For water, residents would pay an estimated average of $3.92 more per year with the increase, and according to the committee, the majority of people would fall into the first tier category for sewer rates and would see an average increase of $42.30 in their rates.

The committee estimated these rate increases by using the numbers that would affect the average resident.

It is estimated that users in the second tier for sewer rates would see an increase of $197.39 increase, while residents in the third tier would see a $514 increase.

The increase in rates is mainly being driven by a need for revenue because of debt, according to Judy Mooney, the finance accountant for the town. Selectman Stephen Cushing asked if the town could expect more increases in the future, and the committee told him yes.

In other news:

Police Chief Lincoln Miller asked Selectmen for permission to add an additional full-time officer. The department currently has one officer out on leave due to an injury and a second officer has gotten interest from a larger department. Miller said with the amount of money being spent to pay officers overtime, it would ultimately save money to bring another officer on full time. The board supported the idea.

At the end of the meeting, Selectman Steve Gonsalves gave his condolences to the Serpa family for the loss of Sallee Serpa, who died May 26.

“She was just an amazing resident,” he said.

He also endorsed an idea to commemorate both Serpa and her sister Suzann, who died in 2014, with a plaque on a rock at the beach where the two spent a lot of time. The other Selectmen agreed and said they would look into it.