FROM THE NEWSROOM: The Thompson Water Pollution Control Authority is proposing a 20% tax rate increase for this fiscal year, and single digit increases over the following five years to equal a 55% compounded increase. According to WPCA Chairman Sam Stilwell, Authority members need to look at the budget even though the $500,000 phosphorous mitigation project recently approved isnt going to be in place for another year and a half, in order to build up reserves for any unexpected costs that come up between now and then. The phosphorous project will be paid for over a 20 year period through a loan; in addition, there will be new, yearly operational costs for the chemicals that are used at the plant. There are about 1,100 equivalent dwelling units in the Thompson WPCA system, and the increase will be $64 per E.D.U., equating to a rate of $384 per E.D.U. annually. Another reason Stilwell says the rate needs to go up is that some customers did not pay their bills, resulting in a $12,000 deficit in income for the plant; $8,800 $8,800 was left over in the budget, of which 95% of the budgeted funds were spent, from the last fiscal year, but that number should have been $21,000. The proposal will be presented at a public WPCA meeting at 7 pm Wednesday. Tune in for the full report.
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 11:55:10 +0000