Mayor Mayo Warns of Dangers in Lowering Sewer Rates
By: Staff
Updated: December 18, 2012
The new Monroe city council officially takes office Tuesday and some have said their first point of concern is reversing the newly approved sewer rates.
But Mayor Jamie Mayo is warning the council on the dangers of that move.
In November, the council voted to hike the sewer rate 55-percent starting January first.
That takes the price from 2.29 to 3.44 per thousand gallons of water consumed.
Mayor Jamie Mayo says rescinding that vote would cripple the sewer department - which already has a deficit of almost $5.1 million.
He says it could also put the city at risk for fines from the EPA and another consent decree being issued against the city.
"Each and every day that deficit continues to rise and we feel that the action that has been taken by the city council has gone a long way in starting to fix that problem" said Mayor Jamie Mayo.
Mayor Mayo says the new rate is still about 75-cents less than the state average and is the first increase for the city since 1998.
We did reach out to the three new city council members for comment.
The new District One Councilman Ray Armstrong says he does believe the sewer rates need to increase - however he says there are other issues that need to be understood and addressed.
He adds the sewer issue is a complicated one.
We did not hear back from Betty Blakes or Kenny Wilson for comment.
But Mayor Jamie Mayo is warning the council on the dangers of that move.
In November, the council voted to hike the sewer rate 55-percent starting January first.
That takes the price from 2.29 to 3.44 per thousand gallons of water consumed.
Mayor Jamie Mayo says rescinding that vote would cripple the sewer department - which already has a deficit of almost $5.1 million.
He says it could also put the city at risk for fines from the EPA and another consent decree being issued against the city.
"Each and every day that deficit continues to rise and we feel that the action that has been taken by the city council has gone a long way in starting to fix that problem" said Mayor Jamie Mayo.
Mayor Mayo says the new rate is still about 75-cents less than the state average and is the first increase for the city since 1998.
We did reach out to the three new city council members for comment.
The new District One Councilman Ray Armstrong says he does believe the sewer rates need to increase - however he says there are other issues that need to be understood and addressed.
He adds the sewer issue is a complicated one.
We did not hear back from Betty Blakes or Kenny Wilson for comment.
