From Mark O’Brien’s Sunday column:
The utility, which serves 60,000 of the county’s 118,000 households, will raise rates to pay for the new plant near Gonzalez, but it shouldn’t put all the burden on its customers, ECUA member Lois Benson said.
“There are benefits to everybody, not just our ratepayers,” she said.
1. If everybody benefits, why is ECUA Board member Dale Perkins saying that the plant won’t be moved unless FEMA, City or County pay two-thirds of the remaining $115 million?
2. Why should someone on a septic tank pay for new system that they won’t use?
3. Why should ECUA be given a new state-of-art plant in the Cantonment area for free?
4. Will ECUA share the revenue for the new plant with the county and city?
5. If the city and county pay, the city residents will pay three times more than anyone else – city taxes, county taxes and ECUA fees. Why is this fair – if everybody benefits?
6. Why hasn’t ECUA built up any reserves to move the plant and/or build a new one in the Cantonment area?