Wednesday May 7

Mountain View mulls utility rate increase

By Melanie Carroll / Daily News Staff Writer

The average Mountain View family would pay an additional $3.05 a month for water, garbage and sewer services if a city-backed rate hike is approved.

The increases are due in part to rising electricity costs, wholesale water prices from the San Francisco-operated Hetch Hetchy water system and inflation, city officials said Tuesday night during the latest budget discussions.

The average family would see increases of $1.50 a month for water, 90 cents each month for sewer service and 65 cents for solid waste services, the city council learned Tuesday night.

"I would prefer not to raise rates," said Council Member Jac Siegel. "I think it's prudent to increase" the rates.

Siegel said he would rather raise the monthly costs slightly next year rather than incur steeper increases during subsequent years.

"I understand why we have to do what we have to do," Siegel said.

The utility rate hikes that would amount to about $36.60 a year may not go into effect if roughly 8,000 of the city's ratepayers contest the change in writing. A public protest hearing is scheduled for June 10.

Don Letcher, a frequent city critic, said he's opposed to the utility rate increases.

"It would directly affect housing costs," Letcher said. "It would tax people out of their homes."

Rather than charge residents more, the city should use a portion of its discretionary fund dollars to cover the rising costs, Letcher said.

City Manger Kevin Duggan said that the city is not allowed to commingle disparate portions of the budget, in accordance with state law.

The city is slated to again discuss the upcoming 2008-2009 budget on June 2 during a public hearing on the matter. Another hearing to discuss proposed utility rates is scheduled for June 10.



E-mail Melanie Carroll at mcarroll@dailynewsgroup.com.