Did you know that
your utility bills could increase dramatically?
Your city property taxes may not increase, but you
should be aware that your city government is on the verge of an
unprecedented spending binge that will substantially increase your
utility bills for many years.
With financing for 10 years, the ongoing meter
replacement will cost $1,188,000, and the proposed Riley Mountain well
project will cost $4,796,000. That’s almost $6,000,000 of spending, or
$3,400 for each of Llano’s 1,764 water customers. The Riley project
alone could eventually add $22.50 to the base rate for each customer.
With the current residential base rate at $23.50, that will bring it to
$45.00 a month. Even using just the base amount, you will pay $540
dollars a year for residential water. Businesses will pay even more. Can
you afford this? There is no consensus among the city’s highly paid
consultants and engineers that the Riley project is even necessary.
There could then be a double whammy to your
pocketbook. Right now the minimum charge for residential waste water is
$408 a year. Necessary improvements to the waste water plant could drive
this up dramatically. In October 2008, the sewer base rate jumped $10 a
month. A similar increase will drive the base rate up to $44 a month.
That’s $528 a year. In other words, before long the very least you could
pay for water and sewer would be $1,068 a year. That’s for consuming the
base amount of water. You won’t be able to lower this cost with
conservation. You can then add electricity and garbage to that. Can you
afford hundreds of dollars every month for utilities?
The 4.8 million dollar Riley Mountain project is not
needed to supply Llano’s water needs. Llano has rights to 1,700 acre
feet of water a year from the river, which is considerably more than
twice our consumption. Today both reservoirs are full, and good
conservation practices will get us through the yearly periods of lower
summer flow. All droughts end, and this one will be no exception.
There’s no reason to panic and throw money away.
Much higher utility expenses would severely impact
wage earners and those on fixed incomes. This is little appreciated by
the current mayor, city management, and some members of the council.
Less disposable income will hurt local businesses, which will also see
their expenses increase.
If you are concerned about surging utility costs for
you and your neighbors, contact your mayor and aldermen or woman. Also,
send you concerns and utility bill experiences, anonymous, to
LlanoWatch Feedback. Make your voice heard.
Thanks and let’s keep Llano affordable for everyone.
John Gray
Llano, Texas
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