Water and sewer rates
At a meeting Tuesday night about Peterborough’s new water and sewer rates, which are creating large increases for many residents and businesses, Selectman Bonnie Tucker presented a plan to try to ameliorate some of the pain. The costs have gone up about $500K per year, we were told, because of the new Cold Springs wells.
Unfortunately, Town Administrator Nicole McStay seems wedded to a tiered system, approved by the Selectboard last year, in which some people got a reduction and most are paying much more.
While this is a complicated issue and there are many possible solutions, making senseless declarations is not helpful. McStay said at the meeting (and not for the first time) that if they hadn’t changed to a tier system, everyone’s rates would have gone up 85%. You can see this recording on the town’s website (timecode 01:50:50)
That statement makes no sense. The Water and Sewer budget, before the addition of about $500,000 for the new well, was about $2.6 million per year. A $500,000 increase is just under a 20% increase. An 85% increase would raise an additional $2.2 million, bringing the sewer and water revenue up to $4.8 million. This statement seems like a scare tactic.
The new system tier rates are 40% higher for the first tier of 301 to 1,000 cf, 66% higher for the second tier of 1,001 to 6,000 cf (most of us will pay some part of our bill in the tier) and 93% higher over 6,000 cf. Many businesses will pay some costs in this tier.
The problems created by the new pricing need to be fixed, and I hope the selectmen either adopt Bonnie’s plan or a modification of it. While we voted to spend the money for the new well, we should raise those funds transparently and fairly.