Emporia’s utility rates might be going up as a result of budget discussions during the city commission’s study session Wednesday morning.
In earlier budget discussions, city manager Matt Zimmerman had proposed a 19 percent increase in water rates and a 16 percent increase in solid waste rates, to be offset by a 19 percent decrease in sewer rates. This would have resulted in an increase of about 29 cents per month for the average homeowner.
After looking at long-term prospects and wanting to find ways to pay cash for capital projects, commissioners decided to forego the sewer rate decrease. The result will be a monthly utility rate increase of about $5.78 for the average homeowner.
“The city commission’s consensus is that, while we’re obviously very concerned about the cost, we’re not in the position, looking long-term, of being able to lower the sewer rates like was originally proposed,” Zimmerman said.
The discussion among commissioners revolved around the wisdom of lowering rates now only to have to increase them even more next year. Commissioners agreed that it’s better to try to budget for smaller increases in the future.
“The feeling is that rather than doing a rate decrease now and a larger increase in the future doesn’t really make a lot of sense,” Zimmerman said. “We’re better off keeping the rate in the sewer fund flat and having a little increase in future years. ...”
Sales tax collections continue to drop, but are so far keeping up with the budget’s projection of a 7 percent drop for the year, Zimmerman said.
August sales tax collections are down 19.7 percent from the same period last year. For the year to date, sales tax collections are down 6.7 percent from the same eight-month period in 2008.
“The budget assumes a 7 percent decrease in sales taxes, so we’re pretty much trending right at where the budget assumes we’re going to be,” Zimmerman said. “Obviously, a significant decrease month to month over a year’s period is a concern, but all we can do is continue to monitor it and make adjustments accordingly.”
Commissioners also reviewed the draft of a policy that will help homeowners in certain low-lying areas to install check valves to alleviate sewer backups. According to the policy, the city will pay half the cost of a check valve up to $1,250.
Public works director Ron Childers said the city receives about 120 calls per year regarding sewer backups. The backups can happen for a number of reasons, Childers said, including heavy rains and power outages that disable one or more of the city’s lift stations.
“If one of those lift stations goes down because of a power outage, then there’s no place for that sewage to go,” Childers said. “First person on that line’s going to have a problem.”
City engineer Mike Novak said the program would allow a homeowner to get estimates from plumbers, have the work done and then be reimbursed by the city for half the cost.
The program was first brought up for discussion in April as a way to isolate the city’s sewers from individual property by installing a check valve on the sewer service line, Novak said. The valve can be closed against any backups in the system, protecting property from the backups.
“This is the city stepping forward with a way to help those properties that have got a history of regularly occurring sewer backups as a way to protect themselves from those occurrences,” Novak said.
The check valve policy will be discussed at a future commission meeting.
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
At the last city commission meeting, the city of Emporia admitted that they were over estimating the administering fees by 1 million dollars. This means that the city commissioners are imposing a hidden tax on the utility funds that is a harsh regressive tax on the lower income families and people on fixed incomes. For fair taxation Emporia needs to be divided into 5 districts, this is the only way to fight the power elite. Lets get this on the ballot box.
August 27, 2009 at 1:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
reddog
I have been advocating this type of change in our city government for over 40 years now, but as long as the powerful elite of Emporia control Emporia this will never come to be.
Having the City divided into 5 or more districts with representatives elected from within each district to serve on a " City Council " would be a much more fair and equal form of government, with equal representation of all the citizens of Emporia !
August 27, 2009 at 2:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
admireed (anonymous) says...
Get a petition going or stop the yap!
August 27, 2009 at 2:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ClassicNotOld (anonymous) says...
As a single "over 50" person, I pay $40 a month ... and I'm sure that's the "minimum" ... an almost $6 increase will be crazy. And, I only use the trash pickup once a month or less. I think "districting" the city government for fair representation for all would be a good idea.
August 27, 2009 at 2:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
spectator (anonymous) says...
An increase of appx. $0.29/month to an increase of $5.78/month..... I guess I'm slow but this seems to be an awful big jump. Is "trending" a term common to Illinois that we "hicks" are simply unaware of?
August 27, 2009 at 3:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
yev_kassem (anonymous) says...
I like the districting idea as well, but it does have flaws.
Right now, it appears that we have more representation coming from the NW side of town than others. However, one could argue that all of those people are deserving. They are educated, seem to have an interest in government, and have an interest in helping Emporia. (whether or not they are accomplishing this is for you to decide) They do have a lot of tough, and sometimes unpopular decisions to make, but I do think they try to do what is in the best interest for all Emporians.
Now, if we divide Emporia into lets say 4 areas....NW, NE, SE and SW and have representation from all 4 groups, we might encounter issues where one representative is so focused on getting reelected that they only vote for things that benefit their section and not what is in the entire city's best interests.
Furthermore, what if there is no one to run from a certain section, or if there is only one choice in one section and 10 qualified people from another. Should the other 9 qualified people be left out based on where they live?
There are a lot of things to consider when deciding to district off Emporia and I really don't know that it would matter much in the last few major decisions that they have made. At least with the $6 increase it affects everyone, homeowners and renters, so everyone is footing the bill and not just the homeowners through their taxes.
August 27, 2009 at 3:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
I seem to remember the last election when only 1 person besides the incumbents filed, and they dropped out.
Do you think there would be enough candidates to run if there were five districts?
Have people finally decided to become involved?
August 27, 2009 at 3:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
Art Buchwald said, tax reform is taking taxes off things that have been taxed in the past and putting taxes on things that haven't been taxed before. The best defense against usurpatory government is an assertive citizenry.
August 27, 2009 at 4:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
How can it be politically right to tax the poor and down trodden with a regressive tax? This is morally wrong.
August 27, 2009 at 4:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
They have always called me an old crank until my ideas succeded. My hero is Babe Ruth who said,"never let the fear of striking out get in your way."
August 27, 2009 at 4:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
Using overpriced utility funds represents the largest taxation shift in the history of Emporia. Big industries will have their taxes lowered and consumers will have their taxes raised. Now is the time to speak out against this regressive tax that the commissioners love to use to expand government. Concerning the 5 districts one district should include anyone employed by ESU and the students.
August 27, 2009 at 5:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
About once every 10 years, I think it's good for the people to upset the apple cart. If we don't the apples will rot away.
August 27, 2009 at 5:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justthefacts (anonymous) says...
Let me see, I understand valuations went down across the county somewhere between 1-5 percent and the city kept the levy flat which in my backwater understanding of things means property taxes went down. Government is the only business I know where you are supposed to continually improve the product by reduce your revenues. If I ran my business that way I'd be out of business. I regularly up my operations costs through the passing of the increases to my customers. Since I still have a solid base I guess they are ok with it. Something has to give and I prefer it is the tax rate. I'm tired of the service reductions and the limited ability of the city to get things done. Please don't tell me about cutting fat. After 20 years of having endured the blind call of the body politic I got out and decided private sector was easier to manage without 20K bosses. Go ahead and beat up the city. The county and the school district increased your taxes, I don't hear anybody screaming about redistricting and petitioning them. I'm reminded about the donkey that used to live about a mile away from my farm as a kid. It would stand outside and bray at the sun, bray in the rain, bray at the moon...basically bray all day long. It never accomplished anything than annoy the neighbors. Finally the guy who owned it shot it because it got tired of all the braying himself with no benefit in return.
August 27, 2009 at 6:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justthefacts (anonymous) says...
By the way, the term "powerful elite" is redundant. If you are powerful you don't have to be publicly "elite." If you are "elite" you are already "powerful" and don't have to prove it be being elected to some office. You just get your cronies to do it.
I find it sophomoric that you all continue that old tired tirade. They pay a higher proportion of taxes...no I don't live there...than others with little different city services in return.
This town doesn't have the draw to attract the "powerful" or the "elite." If you resent them because you don't have, haven't got off your dead A** to get it or feel like the government owes it to you... it I guess you are a communist.
This country allows anybody to get out, get educated or get a job and do as good as they want to. Quit your B*****n and make a change. Chances are if the roles were reversed, you all would be singing a whole different tune. If you are content were you are then be quiet.
August 27, 2009 at 6:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
Well, I may be wrong or am not understanding the water and solid waste rate increases, " Matt Zimmerman had proposed a 19 percent increase in water rates and a 16 percent increase in solid waste rates ". However, a 19% increase in water rates plus a 16% rate increase in the solid waste rate, by my math results in a 35% total increase in your monthly water, solid waste and sewer bill. Therefore, if your current water , solid waste and sewer bill amounts to $40, a 35% total increase in water and solid waste will mean that you will pay an additional $14 per month or a total of $ 54 per month, quite a bit more than $5.78 that the Mr. Zimmerman quoted !
I don' t know what they consider an average household water, solid refuse, sewer to be but at a total of 35% increase in the water sewer, solid waste, sewer bill would have to be no more than $16.40 in order to have a $5.78 increase.
Am I not understanding that there is to be a 19% water increase plus a 16% solid waste increase and what about sewer rates are they to stay the same, increase, decrease, exactly what is happening ! Because to me 19% + 16% = 35%.
It would appear to me that no matter what, everyone in Emporia is going to see an increase in the cost of living and that is going to affect everyone, especially those of us who live on a fixed income, with no possible cost of living increase in what we must live on !
August 27, 2009 at 6:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justthefacts (anonymous) says...
I find that working beyond my retirement pension has served me well for an additional income. I'm sure others find it beneficial.
August 27, 2009 at 6:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
Try telling that to a 40 or 50 year old that just got layed off from Detroit D.
August 27, 2009 at 8:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
Of course if you work for the "Government" , you don't have to worry about being layed off. The government doesn't have to show a profit>
August 27, 2009 at 8:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justthefacts (anonymous) says...
Well actually they do, I have several friends who worked in California who were laid off by the state indefinitely. No benefits because they were RIF'd instead if fired. It goes both ways. The days of security in any job locale is gone. Just depends on what you are willing to do for a job. In my lifetime I've done stuff the guy on dirty jobs won't do but it was honest work and I didn't need assistance.
August 27, 2009 at 9:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
When government tortures the numbers, they will confess to anything. Emporia economic forecasting is making astrology look respectful. For years the debt to income was 40%. Today it is 130%, and that's why an increase in anything can be a big deal. The debt to gross national product use to be always around 20%, today it's 100%. Economic books had instant replays before TV sports. The important thing about trying to balance a city budget is what you learn after you think you know it all. I think it's every citizen's duty to support our city government. but not neccessary in the style they are accustomed to. Let our town give liberty to each section so we can truely be inclusive as the signs entering Emporia profess. Liberty is the only thing you cannot have unless you are willing to give it to others. William Allen White.
August 28, 2009 at 12:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
If there is a 50/50 chance that something in the Emporia budget will go wrong, then 9 times out of 10 it will.
August 28, 2009 at 1:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
HEE, HAW
August 28, 2009 at 12:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )