Letters To The Editor

(D-Bell spoke the following words during the June 15th Public Hearing. He was the lone dissenting voice (again). This only succeeded in getting the Mayor’s proposal to raise our water rates a 7th time “tabled” until the July 20th Town Meeting when it will again be proposed.)

“I have great respect for all the effort and dedication it takes to work on the budgets for the four funds with Reserves recommended by the auditors and the State. And the Mayor and Mrs. Clapperton are to be commended for their dedication and work. My comments are intended as objective and in no way personal or do I wish to impugn anyone’s integrity. That said: As a resident I want to state my objections to proposed rate increases for both Water and Garbage collection.

Since water projects began we will have endured SEVEN rate increases amounting to a more than a 500% increase. (April ’91 from $6/mo to $7.50/mo, May ’97 $9/mo, Nov. ’97 $21/month (133% increase), Sep. ’99 $25/month (19% increase, then $27 month, then $30/mo, now $32/month) if this passes.

I am also aware that the rate increase is designed once again to help ultimately increase an Enterprise Reserve Fund (EDITORS NOTE: THIS IS WHAT THE WATER/GARBAGE FUND IS CALLED) from the current $100,000 (approx.) balance to $250,000 for a contingency fund. (The Mayor then stated the Enterprise fund was actually much lower and he wanted the Cemetary Fund to be raised to the $250,000 figure., and to help make Enterprise fund self-sufficient without depending on transfers from either the General or the Capitol Projects Fund for an additional $30,000 for wages. But the major monetary draws to the Water/Garbage Fund are in fact Capitol Projects! Reference the current and future water line replacement projects, meter installations, etc., and many others in the past.

We are already paying between $326 and $356,000 a year for our drinking water. That is more than $2,000 per household or $167 per month in actual household costs. Friends we are drinking some of the most expensive water in the United States, truth be known. But that aside, as a citizen I fee the rate increase proposal can be more than offset by adjusting the Capital Projects Fun Budget. For example: The Capital Projects Budget shows $24,000 more being spent on Town Buildings. $21,000 more on the Park, and $5,000 more on Town signage. This after we have just spent $32,000 on these projects this year already.

RAMP Funding is an additional $16,000 and has been approved for use on the Park. So why do we need to spend another $66,000 on the Town buildings and Park for Capital Improvements? They look great just like they are! My poll is overwhelmingly in favor of not spending any money ($5,000 or $6,000) on concrete curbing or sidewalks on the west side of the Park for example. Most like it just the way it is. Another leading citizen recently said, “Please, no more buildings on the Park.”

I am suggesting that there is plenty of “Fat” built into the Capital Projects Budget to more than cover the proposed Water rate increase which will yield only about $30,000 at best. One thing about water rates, garbage collection, and taxes they never seem to go down. So when we blithely and apathetically accept these increases we have then for the rest of our natural lives.

Decisions to raise rates therefore should not be made whimsically or prematurely without absolute certainty there is a real need. In this case there is “fat” in the Capital Projects Budget (and perhaps even more elsewhere) and more than adequate Reserve Funds (in excess of $100,000) should they even be required.

Secondly, Econo Waste has not to my knowledge increased its collection fees nor renegotiated its contract. (Mayor McKay stated actually the Contract has a
1 ½ % increase built-in. To which D-Bell stated that equals about .18, hardly justifying the requested rate increase.) This makes the proposed Waste Collection rate increase effectively nothing more than an arbitrary tax increase or stealth addition to the proposed Water rate increase (both being a part of the same Enterprise Fund) . . . “just because it has been a while since the last one.” This is not a good enough excuse for at least this resident. This rate increase will only add $6,000 roughly to the Enterprise Fund, which is actually the Water Fund mostly.

And again for the reasons I stated before, it is not necessary. I ask therefore respectfully request that the Town Council reject any proposal to increase either water or garbage collection rates this year.

What can YOU do? Call the Councilmen and tell them you don’t want any more water rate increases or garbage collection increases. 3 votes out of 5 is what it takes to defeat these constant, unending and unnecessary rate hikes. Huntsville used to be a nonprofit Town before the current Administration, which is now run at the behest of appointments to unadvertised paid positions smacking of cronyism. If you do not exercise your right, and duty as a citizen then don’t complain about it later.
Thank you, D. Bell Huntsville