After reading your article: City of Castlegar adjusts water and sewer rate proposal, it seems to me the city has somehow gotten this proposal completely out of hand.
It’s not that complicated. Simply charge by usage or as they call it consumption. It satisfies both of their goals — fairness and conservation. Fairness — pay for what you use. Conservation — limit your use or pay through the nose. Money always talks.
I want to stress the inequity of the flat rate. The two goals of fairness and conservation seem to have completely escaped the city’s proposal.
Talk about fairness, it completely ignores it. Talk about conservation, it encourages abuse, as pointed out, very few users would come close to using the flat rate amount.
The silent majority I’ve talked to are outraged at this proposal.
The city needs to consider a usage rate only, adjust the rates so that they are equivalent to the average usage and get on with it. It’s simple.
Bob Engley
Castlegar