Credit Keyser Mayor William “Sonny” Rhodes with making an admirable stand on behalf of Keyser residents by insisting that New Creek and McCoole water customers share in some of the costs of the first phase of a pending water system overhaul. But the hard reality is that, even if the two outside users agree to cost sharing, it will probably do little to reduce the 50 percent rate hike that Keyser residents are facing on their water rates.
Rhodes came late to last week's meeting with representatives of the McCoole and New Creek water systems, where engineers and accountants were going over the funding and design details of an $11.5 million upgrade to Keyser's water system. Apparently no one told him, before he entered the meeting 20 minutes late after rushing from a doctor's appointment, that the accounting firm the city lined up to arrange the complex financing scheme had recommended that Keyser absorb all of the increase in rates related to phase one of the project, which will cost $4.1 million.
All in the meeting appeared to agree with the rationale, but a flustered Rhodes said “No way.”
The mayor's passion and principle are truly admirable, and on that day he won a reprieve of sorts, and maybe even a battle. In the face of the mayor's protest, the engineers acknowledged that, while two-thirds of the phase-one work is related to Keyser users alone, about one-third of the project cost associated with the replacement of the water tank at Potoamc State College benefits the entire system, and thus its cost should be shared with the other users.
It may well turn out to be more of a moral than a fiscal victory, though, because much of the 50 percent hike proposed by the accountants is not related to the project at all, but rather is a “catch up” on rates that don’t fully cover the cost of operating the water system.
For years, Keyser officials have avoided the painful necessity of regular rate hikes to keep pace with inflation, and the cost of system upkeep. Now that bill has come due, all at once.
Mayor Rhodes can indeed take satisfaction in moving the discussion to a point where McCoole and New Creek appear poised to accept responsibility for rate increases related to one-third apiece of one-third of the $4.1 million phase-one project. But Keyser residents are still going to see a major increase in the price they pay for their water.
|
|
|
Credit Keyser Mayor William “Sonny” Rhodes with making an admirable stand on behalf of Keyser residents by insisting that New Creek and McCoole water customers share in some of the costs of the first phase of a pending water system overhaul. But the hard reality is that, even if the two outside users agree to cost sharing, it will probably do little to reduce the 50 percent rate hike that Keyser residents are facing on their water rates.
Rhodes came late to last week's meeting with representatives of the McCoole and New Creek water systems, where engineers and accountants were going over the funding and design details of an $11.5 million upgrade to Keyser's water system. Apparently no one told him, before he entered the meeting 20 minutes late after rushing from a doctor's appointment, that the accounting firm the city lined up to arrange the complex financing scheme had recommended that Keyser absorb all of the increase in rates related to phase one of the project, which will cost $4.1 million.
All in the meeting appeared to agree with the rationale, but a flustered Rhodes said “No way.”
The mayor's passion and principle are truly admirable, and on that day he won a reprieve of sorts, and maybe even a battle. In the face of the mayor's protest, the engineers acknowledged that, while two-thirds of the phase-one work is related to Keyser users alone, about one-third of the project cost associated with the replacement of the water tank at Potoamc State College benefits the entire system, and thus its cost should be shared with the other users.
It may well turn out to be more of a moral than a fiscal victory, though, because much of the 50 percent hike proposed by the accountants is not related to the project at all, but rather is a “catch up” on rates that don’t fully cover the cost of operating the water system.
For years, Keyser officials have avoided the painful necessity of regular rate hikes to keep pace with inflation, and the cost of system upkeep. Now that bill has come due, all at once.
Mayor Rhodes can indeed take satisfaction in moving the discussion to a point where McCoole and New Creek appear poised to accept responsibility for rate increases related to one-third apiece of one-third of the $4.1 million phase-one project. But Keyser residents are still going to see a major increase in the price they pay for their water.
