Story posted Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Resident Bashes Council Over Water Rate Debate
By CRAIG ADAMS Journal & Topics Reporter
Park Ridge City Council on Monday, Mar. 1 passed an increase to local water rates on first reading but only after receiving a verbal chastisement from a resident.
The previous week, the council, acting as a Committee of the Whole, agreed to the increase by a vote of 4–3. On that day, they agreed to leave the base rate of $26.96 unchanged. That amount, paid every two months, includes the first 5,000 gallons of water. They increased the rate for the next 25,000 gallons by 9%: from $4.17 to $4.55 for each 1,000 gallons. The rate for any water beyond the first 30,000 gallons increased by 29% from $4.65 to $6.00.
On Feb. 22, aldermen Don Bach, James Allegretti, and Robert Ryan voted against the increase. On Mar. 1, Bach reiterated his opposition to the rate hike.
"This fee hike is because we're using this fund to pay an operating expense in the name of salaries," he said. "All salaries should be paid from the general fund."
The water fund includes an annual transfer to the general fund to help offset employee time used for water issues. It directly pays certain water department employees, but many other city workers deal with water for details including billing, planning, and other administrative needs.
"There's a significant contribution from the water fund to the general fund," City Manager Hock said. He also told aldermen it was their choice to pay the salaries from the water fund or the general fund. Paying from the general fund would require a larger property tax levy instead of a water rate hike.
"You're talking about taking money out of your left pocket and putting it in your right pocket," interjected Mayor Dave Schmidt.
Bach asked the council to defer the vote until the budget was complete. He later amended that delay to Mar. 15.
Schmidt pointed out that a delay would mean additional loss of revenue based on the estimate of the increase.
"Two weeks is another $30,000 down the drain, no pun intended," Schmidt said.
"I too am concerned about deferral. We're prolonging an issue that needs to be addressed," agreed Ald. Thomas Carey (6th). Carey also worried that the proposed increase still left nearly a $400,000 deficit in the water fund by April 2011. He later added that the increase could still be amended before final passage to account for that shortfall.
Ald. Frank Wsol (7th) agreed with some of Bach's arguments. "I think the expenses are overstated," he said, however he added that the council should still move to close the budget gap. He also praised Hock for his reducing expenditures with staff reductions. "We should leave it as it is and just act on it," Wsol said.
Besides staff reductions, Hock also removed fire hydrant replacements, deferred roof repair to the south pump house roof repair for a year, and cut all capital projects except for the Weeg Way water main replacement project. He added aldermen could reject that project to further close the gap.
When pressed for additional information, Hock reminded aldermen they had all the figures the previous week. He also asked if they wanted to start the entire discussion over again.
After listening to aldermen argue, resident Dan Knight spoke to the council. He reminded them that the city has used the water fund to pay for other employee water-related functions for years. Knight took issue at the aldermen's attacks on Hock.
"It seems ingenious to be so hard on this guy," he said. "All this umbrage over Mr. Hock's attempt to give you guys what you've been asking for for months."
Knight continued, "Do you have any idea what you sound like out here? It's incredible." He said he would be "astounded" if he came to a council meeting from another community. "Stop the nonsense, move ahead," he said.
After Knight's speech, the council voted against deferment by a vote of 6–1 with Bach on the side of the delay. Aldermen then passed the rate increase by the same 6–1 vote with Bach still in opposition.
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