Sunday, May 23, 2010
Proposed Sewer Service Charges 2010-2011
Next year's proposed sewer tax rate increase is 5.3958%. The minimum sewer bill will rise from $468.28/year to $493.54/year.
http://www.cityofpacifica.org/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=3786
Past increases in water rates -
FY 2010-2011 : 5.3958%
FY 2009-2010 : 2.5335%
FY 2008-2009 : 18.7761%
FY 2007-2008 : 9.2119%
FY 2006-2007 : 5.6773%
FY 2005-2006 : 7.1344%
FY 2004-2005 : 20.2821%
FY 2003-2004 : 14.6598%
FY 2002-2003 : 0.50%
Comparison of sewer (wastewater) and water rates between various cities in San Mateo County for FY 2009-2010.
Here is San Bruno's brochure that notifies its residents of an increase in water and sewage rates. Compare San Bruno's professional and informative brochure with the green, junk-mail-looking piece of paper that Pacifica sends out.
Posted by Steve Sinai
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7 comments:
Something is not right with that sewer rate comparison. Whenever Pacifica gets ready to raise rates, they always come out middle of the pack, not second highest, according to Ann Ritzmaa.
I poop on you guys!
Steve,
Thanks for posting this.
Note that although meter charges for water are roughly equivalent between San Bruno and Pacifica (North Coast County Water), when you compare usage rates at 20 units, San Bruno, even after the last increase in 2011, will charge $100.74, compared with NCCWD's $131.57!
Why are we sustaining a 15 percent rate increase at that level that puts us 31 percent above San Bruno?
Your comment about Pacifica's sewer charge increase flyer is spot-on. In fact, it's worse than that, the method by which people may send in protests is never fully explained.
My analysis of that and the water district's notices can be read here:
http://www.pacificariptide.com/pacifica_riptide/2010/03/baffling-the-riffraff.html
Lionel, you are to be applauded for your quest to improve city notification transparency, and disclosure. And, you make a good point in your article that communication to the public regarding property related fees (Prop 218) including sewer/water is obscure and laughable.
The WWTP is the city business. I think the specific issues you site are another example of a larger problem and focus of this city council in its failure to reform, and move this city forward.
Next year our sewer rates will be much higher, because 50+ year old city sewer collection pipes need replacing, and this is an outstanding issue. Following the path of seeming obscuration this issue is not being addressed this election year.
Another quick comparison - in Pacifica the minimum yearly sewer tax charge for 2010-2011 is just under $500. In San Bruno, taking into account the $16.66 monthly service charge and $5.72 minimum monthly charge based on water use, the minimum yearly sewer tax comes out to around $260.
Our sewer charges are twice what they are in San Bruno.
an interesting calculation that will jump out at you is if you take your sewer bill from 01-02 and compare it to 09-10 i.e.
350 base year
950 last year
what percentage has it gone up?
277%!
have your wages gone up 277%? this is due in a large part to the city kiting bond issues up to 2004 when they actually had to start making payments. how many of you know that there is a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd bond on that plant? you're seeing what's going on in the housing market because of that practice. why should we expect a different outcome? oh, that's right, the city gives themselves raises each year by way of rate increases.
Wags,
It bears repeating, maybe enough times so people actually understand it, the previous rate hikes had NOTHING to do with servicing debt or improving the infrastructure. It was a shell game to pilfer $700,000 a year from the sewer enterprise to cover the eroding tax base of the general fund due to a lack of business improvement in Pacifica.
There is one sewer bond schedule to pay $472,000 in INTEREST ONLY for the next 10 years. Wait til that city council has to raise rates to pay off $9,250,000 in principal over 7 years. And they have scheduled to pay $7.285 MILLION of that principal from 2025-2027.
2009 CAFR
scroll down to page 53 (page 69 of the document).
In fact, review all of section 6 of the CAFR and look at the principal and interest for all the sewer bonds, tax allocation bonds, etc . . . pretty sobering picture for the future (or lack thereof) of Pacifica if it keeps going in the same direction . . .
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