Resident Clay Wood presses City Council on water and sewer rate increases

Clay Wood, a Milledgeville resident, told the City Council on March 24 that he has not received records he requested in early February showing how recent phased water and sewer rate increases are being applied.

"My understanding is for the bond is $50,000,000," Clay Wood said, and described a debt-service schedule he understood to include larger payments in later years. He told the council that dozens of households report monthly bills increasing by about $40 to $45 and asked what the city will do with any revenue that exceeds annual debt-service obligations.

Mayor Pro Tem (speaker 3) acknowledged Wood's open-records request and said staff would follow up. "If you'll give me an opportunity to give you a call tomorrow... we'll get to the bottom of it and answer your questions," the mayor pro tem said.

Wood also raised concerns about the city's ability to produce the requested records quickly; he said six weeks had passed since his request and asked whether the finance office could produce a simple monthly revenue report. The mayor pro tem said she would check with the interim city manager and finance staff and contact Wood.

The exchange did not include a detailed breakdown of bond terms or a city-produced estimate of additional monthly revenue; Wood framed several numeric figures as his understanding rather than as city statements. Council members told Wood the rate increases were enacted following public hearings and that staff would follow up with the information he requested.

The council took no formal vote on the matter at the meeting; Wood was invited to meet with staff for detailed follow-up.