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Marana's wastewater lawsuit against Pima County is still slogging through a Maricopa County courtroom, leaving town officials unsure of when the town will become the sewer provider for residents.

Despite that uncertainty, the Marana Town Council is set to vote next week on a rate and fee schedule for the soon-to-be-provided service.

The proposed rates and fees will be the subject of a public hearing during Tuesday's council meeting, which is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Marana Municipal Complex, 11555 W. Civic Center Drive.

It is anticipated the town will start off charging the same rates as Pima County, the current sewer service provider, said Barbara Johnson, Marana's general manager for public services.

That would mean the average Marana customer would pay $23.61 per month.

"We have to have a structure in place," said Johnson, noting that discussions with Pima County regarding the sewer system's transfer are ongoing.

Marana began the process of taking over the portion of the county sewer system that runs through the town in July 2007, when it severed a 1979 intergovernmental agreement with Pima County that called for the county to provide wastewater service to Marana residents.

That move led to lawsuits by both the town and the county, with the county suing to block Marana's attempt at annexing a county-owned wastewater treatment plant just west of town limits.

A Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled in June that Marana has the right to own and operate its own sewer system, while a ruling on who has ownership and control of the Marana Wastewater Treatment Facility has not been made.

Marana commissioned a wastewater rate study last October to determine how much it would need to charge residents to maintain the current system and generate revenue that would help pay for new facilities to handle the town's anticipated growth.

That study determined the town could start off charging rates similar to what Pima County charges, with average annual increases of about 5.5 percent.

But Johnson said the study anticipated that Marana would begin providing sewer service in January 2008, and since the town doesn't expect to be able to serve residents until 2009, Marana will look to adopt initial rates that mirror the county's.

"We'll just track with them," Johnson said. "The whole idea is not to hurt people."

Pima County has had two rate increases since the beginning of 2008, a 9 percent uptick in January and another 9.5 percent bump that went into effect July 1.