Even after more than a dozen spoke up during the public hearing at Tuesday's city council meeting, the council unanimously approved to raise the water and sewer rates.

Nearly one hundred residents showed up at El Centro's City Council meeting Tuesday night hoping to convince council to not increase the water and sewer rates.

City Council proposed an increase in July and it was tabled until now. Residents pleaded with council to keep the rates as is because of the bad economy and because a majority will not be able to afford an increase.

"Well the economy is bad and there’s a lot of poor folks out there that just are struggling to make ends meet. So, this is not the time to raise the rates. And as close as we live to the river how can you justify raising the rates," Juan Amaya said.

Council did lower the percentage from the original proposed four and six percent increase.

They approved an increase of 3.4 percent for water and 5.8 percent for sewer.

They've taken this action to help maintain and fix the waste water plants. The last increase was in 2009.

Nearly 1,000 letters and signatures were submitted to City Hall opposing the increase.

Residents will see the increase in their December bill.