The City Council of Webster City approved a first reading Monday of a plan that will raise the cost of electricity in Webster City. Effectively, all users of electricity — industrial, commercial and residential — will see their base and usage rates go up 3% on August 1 this year. Increases to electrical rates have held steady at 1% each year since 2017. The city saw an increase this spring of 2.3% in its basic cost to buy and transmit electricity from Corn Belt Power Co-Op, Humboldt; that is what made the rate hikes necessary. Most electricity used in Webster City is made ...