EPHRATA - Grant County PUD ratepayers will have a couple of opportunities next month to discuss the agency's proposed 2014 budget.

Three budget hearings are scheduled, according to PUD spokesperson Sarah Morford. One will take place on Oct. 7, at 2 p.m. at the agency's headquarters in Ephrata. Another will take place at 6 p.m. at the Moses Lake Civic Center.

The third budget hearing will take place at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10, at the Royal City Community Center, which is located at the golf course at 13702 Dodson Road.

According to Morford, next year's proposed budget is about $243.5 million. While PUD commissioners have until the end of the year to adopt a budget, they are hoping to have one by the end of October, she said.

Commissioners adopted a $305 million budget for 2013. The preliminary budget was a little over $312 million.

According to Morford, the proposed budget includes funding for the agency's Columbia to Rocky Ford transmission line. The project was started this year but will still be ongoing in 2014, she said.

The proposed budget also funds the PUD's fiber optic expansion project.

"Right now over half the county homes have access to fiber," Morford said. "We built out Knolls Vista and Mae Valley in Moses Lake this year and, in 2014, build-out calls for more persons in Moses Lake, like in North Stratford, and Broadway Extended and Road 10 and MarDon as well."

Capital dollars are also allocated in the proposed budget for fish protection, protection of natural and cultural resources and shoreline and recreation management, Morford said.

Rate increases for 2014 have not been specifically announced yet. The 2013 budge included a rate increase of 6 percent.

"At this point commissioners are working on how to set the rate policy," Morford said. "Targets are set in the budget, but actual rate increases have yet to be determined."

Copies of the proposed budget are available at local PUD offices and on the agency's website at www.grantpud.org.