Water Rates in Fort Wayne
Posted by Mike Sylvester - 2/14/12 @ 12:37 am - Filed Under City Council, Featured
It is hard to believe that the “powers that be” want to raise the Water rates that residents pay by 40%. It is especially hard to believe because:
- A few months ago there was no rate increase of any kind being considered.
- City Council approved a large bond issue last year to fund new equipment.
This would be a perfect use for the City Light Lease money. I truly think that 100% of the City Light Lease funds should be used to limit the amounts by which the city water and sewer rates will increase.
Instead the “powers that be” want to waste the money on downtown projects…
Good Grief.
Mike Sylvester
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15 Responses to “Water Rates in Fort Wayne”
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Yes Yes Yes - Mike, you and I are in full agreement on this issue! The City Light lease money was possible because of rate-payers over almost 100 years! Why not use this cash to acually reduce FUTURE rates. The unnecessary ultraviolet light “cleansing” equipment should have been paid for using the lease money! Ergo - no rate increase needed!
But you forget- many City Utilities customers DO NOT live in the city. Also, some city residents DO NOT have City Utilities.
Ratepayers have always paid for their service, it should continue that way.
Kevin,
Using the Light Lease money to offset future increases in water and sewer rates will benefit more Fort Wayne residents than the ideas I have seen for how to spend the Light Lease money.
Mike
Kevin there is the “pilot” money CU forks over to the city which goes to the general fund to be spent hither in less than $80,000 packets if the mayor wishes.It was over $6 million last year.That would pretty much take care of the increase.But then it would cut into Henry’s play money.Tax dollars traded for campaign contributions.And Henry knew of the elevators and rate increase before the election but was protecting himself.And if enough people show up at council tonight then maybe the lease money will be used.Democrats just hate having a new source of revenue and not being able to spend it on something new making government bigger.
JBloom- Do you recall when they raised the roof on the Coliseum? Do you recall the commissioners HIDING that the cost was higher till after the election? I can PROVE those allegations.
Can you prove yours? just curious…….
Kevin we both know what went on.I am not about covering anybodies ass unlike you.And your reply about the pilot funds?
At the City Council committee and special sessions today, the GOP majority again “punted” on taking any governmental initiative that would force the City Administration to, for once, “pay-ahead” on infrastructure improvements in our city. Instead of sending the proposed City Utilities water rate increase back, without approval, to Mayor Henry with a requesr to fund the Filtration Plant water quality improvement with available funds, the council approved the rate increase. City Utilities personnel have made a very convincing case for the need and necessity to upgrade our cast iron water main with the more-serviceable plastic pipe. They have also outlined why the $20 million cost of the Ultra-Violet system will add an amount to the operating costs due to the debt service on the $20 million bond which they say necessitates the additional income via the rate increase.
If the council had indicated to the mayor that this $20 million should be paid using the over $35 million in the City Light Sale and lease “Legacy” fund, reducing the utilities expenses and a rate increase would not be required at this time. The UV system sure meets the Legacy Committee’s requirement that expenditures out of that fund be both “Core Economic Investments” and being infrastructure improvements.
Why this council cannot take any action to put stops on the pushing of more and more of our capital item costs into the use of borrowed funds that our kids and grandkids will have to pay back is beyond my understanding! Witness recent items - Parkview Field, The Harrison, Citizen’s Square, et al
“Why this council cannot take any action to put stops on the pushing of more and more of our capital item costs into the use of borrowed funds that our kids and grandkids will have to pay back is beyond my understanding!”
Because even the most conservative elected official is still spending other people’s money - that’s why this happens.
I was happy with Aqua Source. After this 40% increase, I am paying more for lousy service. In 2011 I had only two actual meter readings. When I read the city’s manual, it only allows three consecutive estimated readings. In fact the City Utilities has not responded to why on more than four occasions the estimate was twice as high as the method sited in the procedures.
Teh reason why so many people left Fort Wayne in the 70’s and 80’s is now coming back to me. The problem is none of us moved far enough out to get away from moronic politicians who love spending other peoples money on pet projects that have no return on capital requirements.
But Bill, I am certain that if we spend just a few million more to make Fort Wayne appear bigger than it really is, the World’s Fair, Olympics, and Ripley’s Believe it or not museum will all want to get in on the action here. Just think of all the money we’ll be making then by selling hot dogs to all the tourists.
And today, 2/23/2012 we find that again the Henry administration is very active in “hiding” what they are planning from all of us on this water rate thing! A $40 MILLION DOLLAR BOND ISSUE TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT THEY SAID WOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF BY RAISING THE WATER RATE! So, again, we push it on our kids and grandkids to pay for this stuff(with interest!). Nothing was said about this prior to the vote on Tuesday at the City Council meeting - just like we were told there would be no rate increase before the vote on the $20 million bond for the Ultra-Violet conditioning system.
And, yet, they can with a straight face say, “We want to spend the funds from the sale and lease of the old electric utility for OUR pet projects!! You taxpayers and city council members don’t need to know anything about this “Until after it is passed”. Sound familiar????
Adding poisonous substances into your tab water and serving it in kids drinking fountains is city parks is asking for trouble. Ultra-Violet conditioning system is what is used everywhere in the developed world instead of poisoning substances in order to kill germs. Water and air quality in Fort Wayne is sub-par and water is much worse quality when served by Aqua according to:
http://www.city-data.com/city/Fort-Wayne-Indiana.html
There is no reason Fort Wayne can not score better, and kudos to the city government for doing so. I may even consider moving to the city based on that.
Which bits your typical pro-business argument that businesses can deliver better than “big” government. They are easier to get a sponsorship from for sure. But better? Depends. Just my 2 cents
Hey dead composer - Don’t believe anyone commenting on this thread has said ANYTHING against the UV system - ONLY against how to pay for it!! And we can use you in our city!-come on ahead!
By the way, I am organizing a group to attend the public hearing at the Indiana Utility Rate Commission meeting on this rate increase. When the date and time is posted, I will be looking for others of like mind to go along and testify as to why the city should use the “windfall” to pay this cost! (AS WELL AS THE OTHER ITEMS THE ADMINISRATION IS PLANNING TO PAY WITH NEW BOND ISSUES!) Call me, if you want to go along - my phone number is in the phone book.
Hitting the “like” button, John.
John, I would like to go to this meeting as well. My problem is I will most likely forget about this in a few days. If you could remind me (I am in the phone book) I will try to find a way to get downtown. I am not sure I will be able to speak well enough, but I certainly will give it a try.
Bill