Sunday, July 12, 2009
NOW COMETH THE DEBATE
It will be 2014 before any of the expected new water will be sucked from Lake Western Branch. Millions will be spent to transfer and clean the H20 that will appear magically from the air as rain or pumped from aquifers. That rain must flow into that lake from somewhere or I will be living on a wide beach instead of highly assessed waterfront. The debate will be over who pays. Those who drink ground water instead of being hooked up to a city pipe will probably not expect not to be involved…aren’t they completely happy with their current supply and system? I am. But the city will charm us with how much that new water and city growth will lower our taxes via our assessments so everyone will have an added tax. It will not be a use tax, it will be socialism. So start building your case, the city that is elated and fond of growth is building theirs.
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7 comments:
Water, water everywhere and not a drop to tax? Not for long. I will continue to use that wonderful ((free)) aquifer 820 feet below for however long I can. Be assured the city assessors will be penalizing anyone with a well and septic system.
Perhaps those nice people on Market Street will remember how much we spent for our necessary well system and how much repairs have cost us over the years. And of course we saved the city considerable amounts they would have to spend to get their water to us. Surely we have paid enough.
The point is that you will never pay enough. Growth that is discribed, means growth of government, just pay attention and you will see. Taxes will rise now that they can't take it by slight of hand with the "Assessment Game"!
The city remembers nothing outside of how much and when you paid your taxes. They don't care a hoot if you have a well or catch basin for your water supply. All they want is more of your money and a means to do so by tax, fee or charge. Almost Was Governor Paul Fraim can only laugh.
Expect the rates demanded for those poor souls tied into and submitted to the City Water and Sewer Systems, to go out of sight! HRSD will raise their rates by over 80% in the next few years, but Suffolk will raise Water and Sewer rates by more than 400%. For those who have no choice but to pay, they will, and it will hurt! Just ask your councilman and they will tell you that this will happen over the next few years time (about five years) if they are honest. They have been told by the Utility Department just a few moths ago, so. Also, the new agreement with Norfolk to buy their water that comes from Suffolk, to support new development will also insure these huge raises in water and sewer do happen! As prices go up, expect to see even more water politics. The next big push will be to tax wells and septic systems to get everyone into the pay to play game! Expect this to come in the form of an "Enviromental Managment Fee", just like the "Storm-Water Management" fees/taxes we now pay on our property taxes twice a year. Then also expect to see "pump-out inspections" required on Septic Tanks every three to five years, with another fee going to the City to insure you did this. This payment to the City gets most of us nothing, but empty pockets and that same formula will be used to get even more as water politics plays-out. WE all can live without many things, but water is one that can only be cut so far.
Remeber the prime-maxim: "Government will take what it feels it can, and more!" Just look to how much government has grown over the last twenty years. As noted by the founding fathers: "The smallest government possible, is the best government provided". This clear understanding is no longer even discussed as we move to more, bigger and more intrusive government and the higher taxes and fees to support it. To expand government, when government makes nothing (but trouble and expense), the cost must be borne by the citizen and that is you and me.
There is no debate, Water Meter is right and we all will be paying more and more. I have City water and sewer and I can attest to the fact that my bills have doubled over just the last two years and the cost to connect is now over $12,500 too. God save us, because our council will not!
Water, sewer and trash rates will be under severe pressure to increase even more than expected, after finding that "the city's 'enterprise funds'...are struggling to stay financially healthy even as city leaders increase our rates. In 2008, the city's Utility Enterprise fund fell well short of covering its expenses," while "the city's water and sewer fund...had revenues of million above expenses and growing due to the lack of growth in permits issued for new constructiona and that means that the reat-payers will pay and pay!" In response, Council's concerns about what rates for trash, water and sewer service will need to be significantly increased in the future. We will see huge rate increases and more for sure. With such poor planning and now huge payments to buy water from Norfolk, we are in real trouble. Growth will squeeze the system and those now on the hook will be those on the water and sewer system already. Expect rates to climb over 400% in the next few years and higher after that for sure, as the system is broken by huge developments to come!
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