To: The Mayor and Board of Aldermen, Town of Oakland, TN

From: Concerned Citizens of Oakland

Date: 9/30/2025

Subject: Urgent Request for Fair Allocation of Water/Sewer System Costs

Dear Mayor and Members of the Board of Aldermen,

We, the undersigned citizens and ratepayers of Oakland, write to express our deep concern regarding the recent quadrupling of water and sewer bills. We understand that the city was required by state mandate to upgrade its sewer system. However, based on information from the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office, these costs should have been primarily borne by developers of new businesses and residential neighborhoods, not passed entirely onto existing residents.

This decision places an undue and disproportionate burden on families, retirees, and small businesses in our community. Utility rates are meant to cover reasonable operating and maintenance costs—not to subsidize developer obligations.

We respectfully demand the following actions:

Full Transparency

Provide residents with a detailed explanation of how the funding decision was made, including city council meeting minutes, ordinances, and agreements with developers.

Reevaluation of Developer Impact Fees

Implement developer impact fees so that those who directly benefit from new infrastructure carry the burden of the costs.
Review whether past developments received waivers or exemptions that shifted costs unfairly to citizens.

Relief for Citizens

Reassess the current rate structure to determine if temporary relief or phased-in increases can be provided.
Consider reallocating costs equitably between developers and residents.

Commitment to Accountability

Outline a clear plan to prevent this type of burden-shifting from recurring in the future.

We believe Oakland can continue to grow responsibly while protecting the financial well-being of its citizens. We urge you to take immediate steps to address this issue and restore fairness to our community.

Sincerely,

Disgruntled Citizens of Oakland