Willard residents press board over proposed water and sewer surcharges; board to model alternatives

Summary

Dozens of residents at a Willard Board of Aldermen public hearing urged the board to reconsider a proposed rate structure that would charge customers outside city limits substantially more, calling the surcharge coercive and asking for clearer data and alternatives. Board members agreed to run alternative rate scenarios and consider stepped increases.

A standing-room audience told the Willard Board of Aldermen on Tuesday evening that a proposed water and sewer rate change that would impose a steep surcharge on customers outside city limits feels unfair and, some said, coercive.

Residents who live in the Meadows and other unincorporated areas said they accept the need for higher utility revenue to cover years of deferred maintenance, but they disputed the consultant’s proposal to charge non-city customers a substantially higher rate. “This isn’t the first time I’ve heard this — it feels like a stick to get us to annex,” said a resident who asked that her remark be recorded as opposition to the surcharge.

David O’Connor, a former Willard public works director who said he served from 2016 to 2019, told the board he was not opposing rate increases in principle but challenged the data used to justify a roughly 50% surcharge for out-of-city customers. O’Connor asked the board to show the basis for the differential, including actual cost-to-serve figures for the Meadows distribution…

Willard residents press board over proposed water and sewer surcharges; board to model alternatives

Summary

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