Get ready, the user rate for Kent County water and sewer could go up this year.
At the Tuesday commissioners’ meeting, Public Works Director Wayne Morris asked about increasing the user rate by four percent, which is the traditional yearly rate hike. Last year the commissioners made a special exception and increased the rate by two percent.
“These wide open spaces that we’ve all come to love and cherish so much are expensive,” Commissioner Ron Fithian said.
There are less people using the county’s water and sewer system than in Chestertown or Rock Hall so the quarterly costs end up being more.
“If you want cheap water and sewer rates, move to Baltimore where it’s probably $15 or $20 a quarter because they have so many people to split (the cost) up,” said Fithian.
Morris explained that it’s not the capacity of the plant that determines rates, but the amount of people using it. He also said that it is more cost effective to have one large centralized plant, but because Kent County is rural and more spread out they have three or four little plants.
Before an increase goes into effect Morris will send out a letter to all users explaining the change.
Mike Johnson says
If I remember correctly about four years ago some one tried to warn the county that increased housing cost local government money, something like every $1.00 in increased property tax revenue generates $1.25 worth of services. Oh that was me! Personally I like our county commissioner’s, but they are and have been in denial when it comes to the cost of growth. It’s not the open spaces that are expensive, it’s the subsidizing of development that is expensive. That is well documented and darn near universal. Question is why do our commissioner’s refuse to see that reality ?
Margot says
Highway robbery!! Water & Sewer rates are cheaper in the deserts of New Mexico. I am not kidding! No one has ever given a TRUE reason as to the high rates in Kent County which sits on top of water tables that are near the surface and in my basement. The only thing I could find was that the County Commissioners at one point in time took out bad loans and refinanced a few times and laid the cost of their poor decisions on us. Seems like it should stop. I empathize with the county’s inability to be in the black right now…but squeezing the purses of the poor residents is hardly the way to do it. It has nothing to do with ‘old system that needs upgrades or work!” I haven’t seen much work being done …. just a bunch of trucks driving around for lack of anything else to do.
Ronnie Fithian says
I can’t think of a water and sewer project that was done specifically to subsidise a developer. The ones I am familiar with were built to take failed septic systems out of the environment. This does several things. It not only makes Kent County a healthier place for all to live by preventing septic waters from pooling up in everyones backyards (as it used to) but it also goes a long way in attempting to keep this raw sewer from finding it’s way into the Chesapeake Bay and tributaries. Mike, you for one have always said that you were in favor of cleaning up the bay, What’s changed?
cellardoor says
I wish the monthly bill was based on gallons used, but I guess that would cut down on how much the county made. I use about 3200 gallons a quarter, and still have to pay the same as a larger household that keeps their usage under 12,000. Had I known it was based on a flat rate, I probably wouldn’t have bought where I did. I found out the hard way to investigate further.