CERWD Strikes Again – Water Rate and Fee Increases!

EDGAR CO. (ECWd) –

For all you people that voted for Clark Edgar Rural Water District candidates, thank you.

For all of those that voted to keep a single board member from the past, let this article be the wake up call to rattle your cage and make you understand what your dealing with.

The day before the election the CERWD had on their agenda a motion to increase your water rates.  By all indications they knew that would be a bad idea to do right before an election so they postponed that action and have now scheduled a meeting for April, 15th at 7:30pm and guess what is on the Agenda?

Raise your Water Rates and Tap Fees ………yet again!

If what Sandra Neal stated during her petition challenge to duly elected Richard Wilkins is to have any truth then there would be no need to raise the rates again.

Sandra Neal: “Our cost of pipe per mile is one of the lowest, if not the lowest, and the leader in that category in the whole state”. 

So where is the truth?

Mrs. Neal, if that is the case can you tell the good people in this water district why we have the highest water rates in the state when compared to other water districts of similar size?  Her comments don’t hold any water!  In fact, if there was a shred of truth to her claim we must ask, why raise the rates yet again?

At what point is enough, enough?  It’s been acknowledged they are losing customers because of the rates and I know for myself as well as others, our wells are looking pretty appealing if they raise rates again.

Tom Jones, the Chairman of the CEWD board, is also an Enerstar board member.  Anyone notice those rates lately?  What is it with these people that think raising taxes or rate fees is the fix to the problem?

First they need to recognize there is in fact a problem.  Debt is out of control in this nation, and this group isn’t the least bit bothered with over $24 Million of their own debt.

More debt than any public entity in either Clark or Edgar county!  That should tell you people something.

There insistence that the interest on their debt doesn’t count clearly tells us they have no respect for our money.   The insider dealings, payment of bills for work never performed and even the use of our money in electioneering to support their write in candidate during the petition challenge, this group believes it is their money to do what they want with it.

I would encourage every customer or potential customer to come to the meeting Monday night and express your concerns over never ending rate increases.

The election placed two new candidates on the board and in typical fashion, it appears the old board is not going to wait for any new input before sticking it to the customers in the district.  Not much different than limiting the public’s comment time to 3 minutes, which is the least amount of time of any public meeting I have ever attended and I have attended hundreds!

When the best interest of the people is put first our government can work.  When those interests are intentionally trampled and suppressed, we get what we have.

“The punishment which the wise suffer who refuse to take part in the government, is to live under the government of worse men”
– Plato