BF residents inform yourselves on rates

As those of us who regularly attend the city council meetings know, we have a lot of problems in the city.

One of those problems is that the city council doesn’t seem to follow up on their decisions.

An example of this is the rate increase for sewer and water last year. It was supposed to go to raise the reserves. When the rate increase hearing was put in the legal notices, it stated that the rate increases were for maintenance and operation of the system, to meet DEQ regulations, and lastly, to build the reserves.

This spring, Mayor Anderson made a comment at a city council meeting that even after the rate increase, the reserves were not where they should be. So they decided to have a cost of service or COSA study done.

Now, at the next council meeting, they say they will set a rate increase hearing. I just wonder if they will really “hear” what the people say or if it will be like last March, when I questioned the wording of the legal notice.

There are also questions about the COSA study differentiating between those in or out of the city.

I questioned this also because, by the minutes of the public hearings and the board meetings before the two districts merged with the city, there should be one entity, with all people sharing costs equally.

I guess I am of the opinion that the COSA study was kind of weighted to come up with the results that the city wanted.

So, please, all ratepayers, become informed and involved. We need to make the “powers that be” know that we have budgets that we have to live by. We also need to remind them that the mayor and council are elected by us, to represent us, and that thereby we are their employers. We need more people on the council to ask the appropriate questions and make the city staff realize that they also work for us.

Ruth Sutton

Bonners Ferry