Westover Hills asks the Mayor
Doug Wilder’s latest Richmond.com Q&A features a question from Westover Hills resident Howard Carlson:
Why should citizens bear the brunt of increased water costs when the largest users are already getting a break for consumption?
A comment to the same article also asks a question that may be of interest to local readers.
Actually the Mayor “mis-spoke” in his description of the water/sewer rates. He has introduced a new rate structure that would actually be higher this year than last. His budget, dealing with the mythical “average” homeowner of a $200,000 house, would cost the homoeowner about $275-300 a year in higher RE taxes, water and sewer increases and the stormwater utility.
Geez, our taxes are WAY TOO HIGH already!!! Is the mayor trying to get EVERYBODY to leave the city?? Geez louise, what an epic failure.
Dave – where can we see that info?
Look at original budget details, as presented. Assessments go up about 5% on average…Mayor proposes flat tax rate.. Not cutting the tax rate means tax bills go up by 5%. Then look at increases in utility rates, and the proposed new charges for a stormwater utility. The utility rates must go up…agreement with federal agencies for clean water compliance. The stormwater utility is not a bad idea, even with new charges. It’s just that these, added together with the mayor’s position on RE rates, do not mean lower fees, they mean higher fees.
It has been said there are lies, damned lies and statistics. To that add Mayor’s news releases.
What if my house did not increase in value? Did everyone’s go up? I know my neighbors did not either.
And I saw a sheet that showed water rates actually declining a tiny bit this year and more over longer term.