Does 21 percent water rate hike make sense?
A story on Page 1A of today’s Gazette might prompt angry residents to race down to City Hall on Wednesday. At 10 a.m., a public hearing will be in council chambers at 18 N. Jackson St. regarding a proposed hike in water rates of 21 percent. The Wisconsin Public Service Commission will hold a simultaneous hearing in the Amnicon Falls Room of its building at 610 N. Whitney Way, Madison.
What’s driving this proposal for a rate hike that large? Is it justified? We’ll share our perspective in our editorial Wednesday.
Greg Peck can be reached at (608) 755-8278 or gpeck@gazettextra.com. Or follow him on Twitter or Facebook
Dec 6, 2012 at 12:54 p.m.
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Sure...another tax on the homeowner/the people that already are paying taxes
Dec 6, 2012 at 9:16 a.m.
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Too bad GM or Chrysler didn't get 5.9billion like Ford got to retool their plants.
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http://www.freep.com/article/20120112/BU...
Dec 6, 2012 at 9:04 a.m.
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Per the Jan 2013 issue of car and driver magazine, Ford has only paid back 2.5% of their $5.9 billion worth of loans.
Dec 6, 2012 at 4:11 a.m.
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I buy fords.
And they work quite well thank you.
Dec 5, 2012 at 4:04 p.m.
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I guess you Janesville people can pay it or don't use the water. Someone mentioned that there is less revenue for the city with GM being gone from Janesville. How are those Toyotas and Hondas working out for you all up there? :)
Dec 5, 2012 at 1:41 p.m.
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People should find something else to complain about rather than this vital necessity.
Dec 5, 2012 at 9:26 a.m.
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This was actually a rate hike that was approved by the council last year but had to be reviewed and apporoved by the appropriate state agency.
I have no problem with the rate hike because I believe it is necessary. Having said this, the City has ways to offset the cost of the hike by looking at reducing expenses which have been left off the table when they ratified the budget.
Dec 5, 2012 at 6:03 a.m.
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obama supporters should love this large increase
Dec 5, 2012 at 6:02 a.m.
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Anything the city is involved in that involves finances does not make sense.
Dec 4, 2012 at 9:15 p.m.
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I guess it will be time for chamber pots dumped out in the back yard. How are us retirees supposed to come up with all these new fees and extra payments? We are not made of money as the city believes. Social security does not increase fast enough to keep up with all of these new fees.
Dec 4, 2012 at 9:07 p.m.
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janesvillean--EXCEPT, I seem to recall part of the increase being punitive in nature. No?
Dec 4, 2012 at 8:11 p.m.
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This isn't about rising costs, it's about the disappearance of a big chunk of revenue that used to come from GM. With them gone, the rest of us have to increase our share of the expenses. I'm not happy about it, but I do understand the predicament the utility is in. Ideally there will be a way to phase in the increase over time, to soften the blow.
Dec 4, 2012 at 7:07 p.m.
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What is the average water rate increase over each of the last ten years? Is it higher than the cost of living index in the Greater Milwaukee area for the last 10 years. Is it higher than the average social security "adjustments" that seniors receive? Why is it that larger homes have to pay a surtax on a tax? Citizen, how much can you afford? Has the city ever done a study of what the average citizen earns and can afford? Is the "well" in Janesville running dry?
Dec 4, 2012 at 6:10 p.m.
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Will Tony have a chart showing rate hikes over time in this Wednesday's paper? I think that would be good.
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