Water usage rate change will not benefit customers

The Marion City Council is considering a change to the water usage rate structure. Under the old rate structure, charges for water usage and wastewater treatment were assessed for each water meter. So, for a lot of multifamily customers, such as apartment houses, mobile home parks, and retirement residences, the landlord paid the cost of water and included that cost in the tenant's rent.

Under the new proposed rate structure, the water usage and wastewater treatment will be charged to each customer who is connected to the sewer system, regardless if they have a water meter or not. This will result in a monthly charge of $8 per resident in addition to their current water bill.

Consider a retirement community that has 200 residents. Each resident will have to pay $8 per month for water and sewer usage, in addition to the current cost that is included in their rent. But these customers have not received any additional benefit or service from the water department.

If you consider the number of apartments, mobile home parks and retirement communities in Marion, this will create a significant revenue windfall for the city on the backs of the poor and those living on a fixed income.

Michael Shea

Marion