Letters to the editor for Wednesday, March 23, 2016

City’s approach to water policy is outrageous

So, let me get this straight — the citizens of Carson City have reduced their water usage voluntarily and as required by watering restrictions, right? Yet, because of our successful conservation efforts, the city has declared that its “enterprise fund” approach to water/sewer will experience a budgetary shortfall, and is considering raising our rates to cover that shortfall? How absolutely ridiculous!

Considering water and sewage as an “enterprise fund” is a huge rip-off perpetrated by the city! Since when is sewage treatment and water distribution to taxpayers supposed to generate profits for any municipality?

Claiming that “the continuing drought” requires raising already excessive water/sewer rates is a totally self-serving excuse for doing so, and obscures their real objective of meeting “budgetary projections” on the backs of citizen rate-payers, who are at the mercy, whim and fancy of the financial-types in city government.

A previous city engineer accurately stated 20 years ago that our water distribution system is woefully inadequate in capacity to serve a growing population, and that watering restrictions are but a mere band-aid, where major surgery is needed. That analysis obviously fell on deaf ears.

Charging us more for using less (as requested and mandated) makes no sense whatsoever, regardless of any ill-conceived budgetary projections relating to providing basic services, including but not limited to, flushing one’s toilet or washing one’s clothes/dishes. Oh, or having a lawn, I might add.

Bottom line — we get punished for our successful conservation efforts? Outrageous!

Freeman Johnson

Carson City