Quincy aldermen gave first reading to a rate hike for water and sewer rates Monday night, but it wasn’t until Tuesday that the size of the total increase was known.
David Kent
Utilities Director David Kent said water fees would go up 25 percent and sewer fees 30 percent when he spoke with reporters Monday night. When Kent sent out follow-up material late Tuesday morning, he included information about a $13.31 meter charge that would be added every three months.
Adding the meter charge to the water and sewer hikes brings the total fee increase to 39 percent.
Under the rate schedule provided by Kent, the average residential customer uses 20 units of water every quarter. The water/sewer fees for that usage has been $65.45. Under the proposed rate and fee structure that same customer would pay $91.11.
In a year the difference would total $102.64 — going from $261.80 now to $364.44.
Kent clearly explained to three journalists that water and sewer rates need to rise because the city is “subsidizing” rate payers to the tune of 17 cents per unit of water and needs higher sewer fees to cover costs as well.
The meter service charge is needed because meters need to be replaced on an ongoing basis, Kent said.
There would typically be two more readings of the rate and fee increase ordinances.
Now that the 39 percent cost increase is out there, look for aldermen to ask tough questions about why meter fees of $53.24 per year need to be added.
Why did you wait til everyone was out of a job before you “need” to raise water & sewer rates? Did this deficit exist last year, year before, year before, etc…? Why not just charge the 17 cents per unit & the meter fee to cover your output? It just seems funny that all of a sudden this is a problem at the worst possible time. Don’t you audit your income outlay exspenses? Looks like the voters need to look at this and maybe vote for someone that will keep an eye on what is happening with the exspenses of the people of this great city. I want to know who knew and when they knew that this problem existed. Now I wonder what other exspense is out there that is just waiting to “need” to be covered by the people of this great city.
Why was all of this information held back until after the elections? Including the IRS issue.