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                                                                 EXHIBIT 99.CERT

I, Edmund J. Burke, President of the Reaves Utility Income Fund, certify that:

      1.  I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of the Reaves Utility Income
          Fund;

      2.  Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
          statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
          necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances
          under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to
          the period covered by this report;

      3.  Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
          information included in this report, fairly present in all material
          respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in
          net assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required
          to include a statement of cash flows) of the Registrant as of, and
          for, the periods presented in this report;

      4.  The Registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for
          establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
          defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for
          the Registrant and have:

              a.  designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused
                  such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under
                  our supervision, to ensure that material information relating
                  to the Registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is
                  made known to us by others within those entities, particularly
                  during the period in which this report is being prepared;

              b.  evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
                  controls and procedures and presented in this report our
                  conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls
                  and procedures, as of a date within 90 days prior to the
                  filing date of this report (the "Evaluation Date") based on
                  such evaluation; and

              c.  disclosed in the report any change in the Registrant's
                  internal control over financial reporting that occurred during
                  the second fiscal quarter of the period covered by this report
                  that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
                  materially affect, the Registrant's internal control over
                  financial reporting; and

      5.  The Registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based
          on our most recent evaluation, to the Registrant's auditors and the
          audit committee of the Registrant's board of directors (or persons
          performing the equivalent functions);

              a.  all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
                  design or

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                  operation of internal control over financial reporting which
                  are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Registrant's
                  ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial
                  information; and

              b.  any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management
                  or other employees who have a significant role in the
                  Registrant's internal control over financial reporting.


By:               /s/ Edmund J. Burke
                  -------------------
                  Edmund J. Burke
                  President

Date:             January 7, 2005

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I, Jeremy O. May, Treasurer of the Reaves Utility Income Fund, certify that:

      1.  I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of the Reaves Utility Income
          Fund;

      2.  Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
          statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
          necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances
          under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to
          the period covered by this report;

      3.  Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
          information included in this report, fairly present in all material
          respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in
          net assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required
          to include a statement of cash flows) of the Registrant as of, and
          for, the periods presented in this report;

      4.  The Registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for
          establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
          defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for
          the Registrant and have:

              a.  designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused
                  such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under
                  our supervision, to ensure that material information relating
                  to the Registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is
                  made known to us by others within those entities, particularly
                  during the period in which this report is being prepared;

              b.  evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
                  controls and procedures and presented in this report our
                  conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls
                  and procedures, as of a date within 90 days prior to the
                  filing date of this report (the "Evaluation Date") based on
                  such evaluation; and

              c.  disclosed in the report any change in the Registrant's
                  internal control over financial reporting that occurred during
                  the second fiscal quarter of the period covered by this report
                  that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
                  materially affect, the Registrant's internal control over
                  financial reporting; and

      5.  The Registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based
          on our most recent evaluation, to the Registrant's auditors and the
          audit committee of the Registrant's board of directors (or persons
          performing the equivalent functions);

              a.  all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
                  design or operation of internal control over financial
                  reporting which are

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                  reasonably likely to adversely affect the Registrant's ability
                  to record, process, summarize, and report financial
                  information; and

              b.  any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management
                  or other employees who have a significant role in the
                  Registrant's internal control over financial reporting.


By:               /s/ Jeremy O. May
                  -----------------
                  Jeremy O. May
                  Treasurer

Date:             January 7, 2005