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Wednesday, 21 June 2006 04:26 |
 By DAVID FORBES
Several city residents, including some business owners, criticized the proposed budget for the City of Asheville ?? especially increased business license fees and a different water rate structure ?? at a June 13 public hearing.
The
proposed uniform water rate structure, which charges the same rate to
all consumers, will save money for many residential users, but raise
rates for industrial and larger users.
By shifting to a
uniform water rate structure and charging an additional fee for
stormwater and infrastructure improvements, the city will harm
manufacturing, Jeff Schlesinger, representing the Manufacturing
Executives?? Association, said.
?®Many manufacturers will already be dealing with burden of the package
of stormwater fees,?∆ Schlesinger said. ?®Combined with the pressures of
the market, this is just increasing the burden. Increasing costs of
water are just going to affect this even more. This will put us at a
further competitive disadvantage and lead to further job losses. To
preserve manufacturing jobs in this area, it??s important that you keep
the rate structure that??s currently in place. We??d encourage council to
keep the current rate structure.
?®We understand that the city needs money to renovate a dilapidated
system. We don??t object to paying our fair share ?? just not a
disproportionate share.?∆
Moreover, Hartley Eastwood, a resident of Deerwood community, said that
the new structure will also result in a significant increase in the
rates his community pays ?? since all the condominiums share the same
water meter.
?®We have about 100 residential units ?? we were told a single large
meter would serve our needs,?∆ Eastwood said. ?®We share that via an
assessment. All the infrastructure is our responsibility. If we were
single units, our new charge would be $350, instead we??re going to pay
$990 a month for this meter. That adds up to $7700 a year. It would
cost us a lot to switch over to single meters for each home. Its just a
rock-and-a- hard-place sort of situation.?∆
The community, comprised mostly of retirees, is asking council to reconsider its rate change.
?®We??re not
trying to bother you,?∆ Eastwood said. ?®We think the need for a better
water structure in Asheville is justified. We will take our fair share
?? we just think we??re being charged an unfair share. We??re being
penalized here.?∆
The community of Crowfield faces a similar problem, resident Mack Cox said in remarks to council.
?®We question
this new proposal and we want council to advise us of your
justification for charging this amount of money,?∆ Cox said. ?®This rate
would penalize a condominium owner by charging them almost three times
more, because of the difference in the meter size. We??re not objecting
to a charge, but we want some equity of proportion.?∆
In separate remarks, Fred English, a resident of Haw Creek, said that
he had a problem with a provision in the budget that would provide free
bus service for 90 days ?? while increasing the amount of a parking
space downtown.
?®Nobody needs a free ride,?∆ English said. ?®The problem with that is,
you??re going to have all these people drinking, staggering around on
the bus. That??s not fair. We??re supplementing the freeloaders. I??m on a
fixed income myself and I??m not against paying my fair share. Its not
fair to take the people working downtown and charge them extra money
for parking while making the bus free.?∆
Council members
did not respond to any of the comments. They will approve a final
version of the budget next Tuesday, after discussing its details last
Tuesday at its work session.
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