UPDATE: Perhaps we will have to start a campaign something like these bloggers did when their water rates went up a whopping 86%!!!
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This may happen because Municipalities want to take water rates out of the control of the Utilities and Review Board. As it is now they have to justify rate increases before the URB. Not a bad idea one would think. If there is a lag time in approval, which appears to be a problem, this could be addressed but no, this is not enough for the municipalities, they want full control themselves.
Perhaps you heard Bob Wrye say, as we did on CBC the other morning, that he proposed that water rates be set by Council, as they are used to setting rates for property taxes which he said was done with the oversight of the Town residents in a transparent, open, consultative process. HA!
The interviewer asked ” Isn’t the idea of the Review Board to prevent the consumer being gouged?” and Bob Wrye replied “Well, Municipalities set the tax rate for the Town, why can’t they do the same thing for the water rates.
We had to laugh because gouging is exactly what the Town is used to doing with property taxes and now they want to do it with water rates!
What we would suggest is a Property Tax Review Board to put some controls on the Town’s exorbitant spending which they support with over high property rates which they fix without much input or protest from somnolent Wolfvillians.
Filed under: Accountability, Council, Town Finances/taxes, Wolfville
