More good news, from ElPasoMatters.com :
The Public Service Board voted unanimously Wednesday to ask El Paso City Council to allow El Paso Water to issue $356 million in revenue bonds to pay for a slew of construction projects and previous debt.
. . .
Municipal revenue bonds do not require voter approval, but El Paso Water customers will still shoulder the bond costs. That future cost, which will be felt by higher rates, is unknown.
. . .
“For the next three to four years, we’re going to see this is going to put pressure on our rates, (and) we might have to increase our customer rates,” [El Paso Water’s Chief Financial Officer Arturo] Duran said.
I imagine that bond issue is different than this, from the El Paso Times:
Paying about $550 million for water, sewer and stormwater improvement projects next year is prompting El Paso Water officials to propose another increase in rates for its customers.
Water rates and the stormwater fee would each go up 9%, and sewer rates 13% next year for residential and small commercial customers under budget and rate proposals presented to the El Paso Public Service Board during a special meeting Tuesday night.
That means an average residential customer would see their bill increase $6.37 per month next year, including a 41-cent-per month-increase in the stormwater fee, if the PSB approves the proposals at its Jan. 12 meeting. That would bring the average residential bill to $66.99 per month.
. . .
This would be the seventh consecutive year the PSB increases water and sewer rates, and the second consecutive year for a stormwater fee increase.
You probably read that El Paso is one of the least affordable cities the U. S. Huh, I wonder why that is.
City Government won’t stop spending money until the taxpayers don’t have any left.
Well, we are paying well above that average, and have been for years, in our little house. My average bill is between $120-150 per month, all year long. And, lest we forget, remember that a large part of that is sewage and garbage. I did forget this very large cost of living in El Paso, when I was reading about how we are one of the least affordable places to live.
So much for the PUBLIC in ostensible public utilities…..
See the political appointees on the public board:
https://www.epwater.org/about_us/public_service_board
Today March 22nd is World Water Day. It began for me with a ceremony down at the Rio, a blessing by a Tigua Tribal official and an offering of dance by two beautiful artists from the UTEP dance faculty and student program, braving the wind and cold to honor water. Wish we had some.
There will be academic, artistic, activist and ceremonial events this week, too, World Water Week.
https://www.utep.edu/onewater/Events/world-water-day.html
I’m so glad I moved out of El Paso, three years ago the rates were too high, what’s going to happen when the Aquifer runs dry and water has to be pumped in from 200 miles away?
I think it is about time for a forensic audit of this taxpayer sinkhole. I mean every check, credit card purchase, every contract, all lobbyist contacts, and workforce hiring and firings. This done by an out of state firm. Having witnessed the corruption in both the city and county governments, I have no doubt that an audit will uncover the same.
Water is life.
El Paso has one of the cheapest rates to water in the nation.
The amount of water will only decrease with climate change and population increase. Expect to pay much more for water.
Then there are stormwater issues. Everyone wants protection from flooding. Do you think all the infrastructure is free? Climate change will continue to make weather more erratic. Expect to pay much more for stormwater protection too.
Suggest we focus on climate issues, reduce our water consumption, and utilize stormwater for landscaping and aquifer recharge.
And how about stopping the use of the ever-scarcer water for crops like cotton and alfalfa??? And stop setting up new pecan groves, most of which will die before they are old enough to produce nuts! NUTS is right….