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 currently scheduled, according to PUD spokesperson Sarah Morford. Two take place on Oct. 7, the first at 2 p.m. at the agency's headquarters in Ephrata, and the second at 6 p.m. at the Moses Lake Civic Center.

The third budget hearing takes place at 6 p.m. Oct. 10 at the Royal City Community Center, which is located at 13702 Dodson Rd., Royal City.

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

Commissioners adopted a $305 million budget for 2013 last December, according to a previous Columbia Basin Herald article. Their proposed budget last year 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 began 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," she 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.

The 2013 budget commissioners adopted last year included a rate increase of 6 percent, according to a previous article.

Rate increases for 2014 have not been specifically announced yet, Morford said.

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

Beginning today, copies of the proposed budget will be available at local PUD offices and on the agency's website at www.grantpud.org.