City Council Member:   

I’m writing about the proposed utility rate hikes.  Between the last electric rate increase and the proposed water rate hikes, I’m personally facing increased utility costs of more than $2500/year - and that’s just one household.    

When you look at the proposed increase in cash flow for the Water Dept, it’s will impact our entire economy.  You are being asked to collect many millions of additional dollars from your constituents over the next five years.     Our local employers will not only face increased utility costs but will also face demands for wage increases to cover increased employee utility bills.   By necessity, that will put upward pressure on prices and make Healdsburg even less affordable for all of us and increase the appeal of shopping in neighboring towns.     Unlike government employees, we cannot recapture our increased costs from taxpayers.  There is no avenue to write a report asserting a need for increased income nor are there automatic cost of living increases.

There appear to be some glaring omissions in the report but the biggest question is how Windsor’s water department can be run so much more efficiently.    Why can‘t Healdsburg compete with other local water agencies?     Instead, we were the worst prepared for the last drought and are now set to pay significantly more for water than any other city in Sonoma County.  The City has a monopoly on water so there appears to be no impetus to do more than the minimum.    It’s up to the CIty Council to hold the Water Department accountable to the residents and rubber stamping rate hikes does not appear to have worked in the past.     

Considering some of the detail in that report, when I look at the budget for next year, for example, the Water Dept payroll budget is $3,407,826.   There are only 15 people listed in your staff directory.     The report asserts an annual 4.5% cost of living salary increase for employees plus a 7% annual increase in employee benefit costs.   Non-government employees in town  cannot expect anywhere near that kind of annual increase.   Why are we being asked to tighten our belts when our employees are being granted wage increases far exceeding what private employers can provide and why are those cost increases not tied to performance?   

I also understand that there are also some capital expenditures required.   Programs such as  DEI, UBI and climate initiatives provide zero benefit for most of your constituents.   The City has gone over and above compliance with the minimum state requirements in many areas.   Focusing on reducing or eliminating wasteful and unnecessary  programs will provide cash towards our much needed water infrastructure.     

In summary, the City’s plan to increase Water Dept revenue by many million dollars is also a plan to take millions of dollars out the pockets of Healdsburg’s residents and businesses.     Although abstract ideas around affordability might sound nice, the reality is that one thing you can do that will affect affordability for all your constituents is to make City staff accountable for providing competitive utility rates.