City Council Opposes Water-Rate Increases

Saying it’s high time the Helix Water District felt the same economic squeeze that Lemon Grove’s residents have, the City Council on Tuesday night agreed to oppose the rate increases proposed by the agency.

Criticism of the plan to raise customers’ rates this year focused on the water district’s high salaries and pensions, and other large budget items, as well as a seeming lack of sacrifice that’s called for in tough times. Council members would like to see the water district tighten its belt the same way the city has.

“We’ve closed our rec center, for heaven’s sake, to save money,” Mayor Mary Sessom said. “People asked us not to, but we had to use a meat cleaver because we were hemorrhaging.”

Sessom acknowledged the need for capital improvements, but suggested those things could be put off for a year.

“I understand water purchase costs are what they are,” Sessom said, adding that she did not see a willingness on the part of the agency to aggressively attempt to not increase rates.

The city will issue a letter to the water district voicing its official opposition to the rate hike, and the city council will also send a representative to a public hearing on the proposed increases being conducted by the water district at its next meeting, scheduled for Aug. 17.

According to Mark Weston, the district’s general manager, the main cause of the increase is that the cost of wholesale water, which the district purchases from the Metropolitan Water Authority, is going up. Weston said the wholesale cost has increased by 76 percent over the last four years. The 16.5 percent cost increase this year represents about $3.8 million.

Wholesale water purchases account for about 39 percent of the district's yearly budget.

The rate increase stands at about 5.9 percent for an “average” domestic class customer who uses 24 units (1 unit = 748 gallons) in a two-month period, or about $6.46. Depending on where a customer falls in the rate structure tier, the increase ranges from 3 percent to 6.6 percent.

Mount Helix Patch editor Eric Yates contributed to this article.