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© 2021 The Somerville Times. All rights reserved.
We live in a world that can slowly nickel and dime you to death – if you don’t watch out for yourself, that is.
Recently, Somerville residents have been made aware of a new “fee” that has shown up on their water bills. For most, the additional charge amounts to $180 annually, an amount that would not ordinarily bankrupt the average user, but the real problem lies in the fact that no one saw it coming. It was apparently never discussed in this year’s budget hearings, and only came to light after media outlets and – eventually – the Board of Alderman started asking questions.
The Water Department has indicated that the additional revenue is necessary in order to maintain and upgrade the city’s current water supply system. This seems fine and good, but what most people are wondering is why the rate increase was not a part of the annual budget discussions and why it came as such a surprise to so many.
And so, our civic leaders are now beating their chests and looking into the matter with impassioned indignation – and we can be assured that no heads will roll. We can also be certain that the additional charge will not go away.
If our water supplies are secured and improved then it all may be worth every cent. All any of us really ask for, however, is honesty and full disclosure whenever such measures are put into practice. After all, we’re the ones paying the bills.
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Well said, Our View of the Times. This lack of transparency – and lack
of a public meeting – from the city administration about the water bill
increase is unfortunate when the administration is about to look for
$50 million for the GLX, $250 million for a new high school, and monies
for a new police station and library. We can be very concerned about
increases to property taxes and rents. So while heads may not roll over
this water bill fiasco, then Mayor Joe and company do need to look at
what happened here, and to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.
Do not trust Curtatone!
Yea? Who is it that you trust? Alex Jones? Herr Dumpsterfire? Downright deplorable.
First we need an explanation as to why the Water Department has the authority to bypass the BOA. The Health Department has the same authority. We went to war once for the same kind of ‘taxation without representation’. This article states that the fee is needed to maintain and upgrade our water supply system. Well, that is one of the things our taxes are for. If we have noone competent enough to allocate tax monies where they’re needed, then we obviously have someone corrupt enough to figure out ways to waste our tax dollars, while collecting new ‘fees’ to cover what our taxes should. They are banking on the fact that there are enough people in this city for whom this new fee is not a big deal, and feel that certainly the water system is an important reason to collect it.