I can only imagine how all the EPCOR employees that have been working these mandatory meetings in Sun City on the massive hikes on waste water and water rates will look back on them 20 or 30 years from now. I can see them sitting around telling the story and chuckling how for 5 or more years they had to go huddle with 100's of old farts and convince them that getting screwed by EPCOR and the ACC was a good thing. Yesterday, for one of the first times of my life, i found i was speechless at the microphone. Shawn, who has to lead the dog and pony shows has become quite adept at deflecting and not answering the anger and frustration. Usually, he listens patiently and then tells people to go to one of the dozen tables stationed around the room to get the answers they want. It's been a program that works well and most of us in the room leave wondering how this can be happening? I listened carefully to the presentation and followed the slide show with some interest. There were two points that struck me and so that was what i focused on when stepping to the mic. Here they are: The first was their effort to impress the crowd with their low income subsidy programs. While we all applaud that, the reality is, both the waste water and water rate subsidies are paid directly from a separate line item included on our bill. In the case of the waste water, they charge all of us 75 cents a month to help those in need. Essentially, they are bragging about charging us more and trying to take credit for doing so. As of yet, we don't know how much more we will get hit on the water increase. The next point is the one that i was absolutely dumbfounded by. EPCOR has been touting how if Sun City is left as a free standing district in either water or waste water, we will eventually pay far more because of all of the costly improvements to our infrastructure. The numbers they have been throwing about have been staggering. Yesterday we heard they have invested 33 million dollars in the last four years, which would have resulted in Sun City going from the current $20 base rate for water to about $30 (though that won't happen due to consolidation). The real killer here though are these numbers: On a chart from yesterday, they showed how Sun City will receive 71.1 million dollars in infrastructure improvements over the next ten years. That's impressive and as a stand alone would be expensive. However, the devil is always in the detail. Their largest water district is Aqua Fria and over that same time period, they will get a whopping $108.4 million dollars in improvements. Here's where this whole scam blows up in their face: The projected rate after the 5 year phase in for all 11 districts is $44.95. That means a $15 increase ($25 if you use our current rate today) for Sun City while our friends in the Aqua Fria district will see a $5.30 reduction from their current water costs. So, it begs the question: if our infrastructure improvements (71 million dollars) are going to drive our costs up, why in God's name are their improvements (108 million dollars) going to see their rates go down? It is staggering to the imagination to watch how this travesty is played out. It is nothing more than a money grab. Eight of the current water districts will get significant reductions in their current rates by year 5. Sun City West and Mohave will a see slight increase and Sun City will get pounded. As several people noted, Sun City's increase will go to subsidize some of those poor communities like Anthem, Tubac and my personal favorite Paradise Valley. Damn folks, you can't make this stuff up.
IMHO I would expect to pay a fairly high rate for water usage in the desert, but the rub here is that this "redistribution" of burden so to speak only benefits the builders and likely the politicians. Paying for improvements in your own immediate area is one thing, but pulling Sun City into and lumping it into a larger new build area to share the burden is just wrong. I can almost agree with the argument that if left alone Sun City would pay higher rates due to needed upgrades, but I suspect most residents would be more understanding if their rates went up because they got a new whatever vs having their increase support someone's new infrastructure. As usual it is all smoke and mirrors. You are right Bill, you can't make this crap up. Politics as it's finest. In this case it just happens that it is a bunch of republicans, but it could just as well have been democrats. Dang politicians in most cases only care about things that line their pockets or get them re-elected so they can continue to suck the public dry. There are a few good guys out there that really want to serve, but unfortunately they are far and few between. OK, stepping off the soap box now.
Spot on gang, politics at its worst. Here's another one for you: Another water district, Chaparral City, is getting 60.7 million in improvements over the next ten years, compared to our 71.1 million. At the end of the five year phase in, their rates go down from $54.05 to $44.95...a very nice $14.10 drop. Somebody please explain to me how this works?
Wouldn't it be cool if Gov. Ducey put a couple of folks on the board who wanted to do the right thing rather than helping Andy Tobin stick it to Sun City residents.
