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| Cheaper to crap in Vernon than Coldstream |
Sunday, December 02, 2012
Councillor pushes for sewer fee change
By Jennifer Smith - Vernon Morning Star Published: December 02, 2012 1:00 AM
A Coldstream politician’s annual effort to establish a
fairer sewer fee system has tapped into some support. But not enough to
bring it on board. Every year, Coun. Gyula Kiss tries to persuade his council colleagues to adopt a truer user pay system for sewer charges. Under the current system he says, “it’s the low users that are actually subsidizing the high users.” Kiss says the current flat fee of $94 is too high and he suggests it be reduced to $75 and increase the per cubic metre rate. “Our intention is that people actually start cutting
back on their water usage,” said Kiss. “If we use this system people
might actually start cutting back on their usage.” Coun. Richard Enns doesn’t support the idea. “The proposal to move to a pure user-pay system is going to punish families,” said Enns. But Kiss disagrees. “It would be fairer and it would still be a subsidy to the higher users but not as heavy.” Coun. Maria Besso likes the idea of a fairer system but also cautions it. “What’s difficult with that is it’s a hard sell to the public,” said Besso. Coun. Pat Cochrane suggested a truer user-pay system be phased in over a two-to-three year period. “I think the user-pay is worthwhile for virtually everything and maybe it just needs to be an incremental process.” Kiss’ user-pay suggestion did not gain enough support from council to pass, but he is not giving up. “I’m going to present this again for the next year and I’m going to lobby the public to support it.”
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2 comments:
Let's put it in proper perspective. Treatment and disposal charges paid to Vernon amount to $825,500 annually.
According to the CFO Coldstream's costs for collection and other expenses come to $644,942. This is the cost I would like to see as a flat fee at $75 (actually $68 would be more appropriate) per quarter or $300 annually. This is basically a parcel tax. Anyone up to 20 cubic meter quarterly usage would pay only this base fee. Over 20 % of users would pay this sum.
Anyone using 44 cubic meters quarterly would pay less than they pay now. Additional volume would be charged at the unit rate of $3.85 on which the whole system is based. No one is penalized a surcharge (like they do with water) with my proposal. The current rate is penalizing low users ($376.40 minimum versus $300).
The majority of Council opposed my version saying that large families (heavy users) would be penalized. In fact they would just pay their fair usage cost. Now heavy users are subsidized by low consumers. The unfair part with this is that a small group of low sewer users subsidize an even smaller group of heavy users. If Council wishes to subsidize any groups then they have to place that burden on the entire community, including themselves.
If they can sell that policy to the whole community I'll quit trying to achieve fair sewer rate structure for.
I agree that the proposal to move towards a fairer user pay system is the correct one. Even though it would up my quarterly sewer bill if I lived in 'country living at its best' Coldstream I support this method of paying for sewer charges.
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