Resident challenges city’s water base-rate comparisons at council meeting

During the public-comment period on March 18, 2025, resident Maynard Little told the Murphy City Council he believes the city has “the highest water base rate in the area” and challenged the methodology of a consultant’s comparative chart.

Little said the consultant NewGen’s annual rate study displayed a comparison that he called “deceit” because the chart did not normalize base rates to consistent included consumption. He described recalculations he said made Murphy’s adjusted equivalent base rates higher than neighboring cities and read multiple comparisons aloud at the meeting, including what he cited as Murphy’s base rate of $30.65.

“I would not make the statement Murphy has the highest water base rate in the area if I did not believe it was true,” Little said during his remarks. He said he has offered to provide his calculations to council and staff but that no one had requested them.

The council did not respond with a staff report or a commitment to review the calculations during the public meeting. Little also said he believes the city’s consumption charges are inflated in the consultant’s cost model; he characterized consumption rates and base-rate structure as contributing factors but did not identify a specific council action or staff reply in the record.

No city staff person presented a rebuttal or a timeline for follow-up during the meeting. The transcript does not show the council directing staff to investigate or report back on Little’s claims; any follow-up would need to be requested at a future meeting or through staff channels.