We will be voting for a proposed 1% ten-year temporary tax to support infrastructure and operating demands for water/sewer and the Auditorium. Without the tax, our water and sewer rates will increase by 35% and many of the much-needed improvements will continue to be an ongoing problem for the city. If we were to try and raise the capital for the improvements by our water and sewer rates alone, the rates would have to increase by 80%. If the tax does pass, we would avoid any increase in our water/sewer rates. Remember, an increase to our water and sewer rates will be reflected on your water bill every month, permanently. The proposed 1% tax will last only ten years with 85% of the tax being paid for by our visitors.
Almost 40% of our water usage is unaccounted for. Last year, city council dipped into reserves to purchase new water meters for the entire city. We are currently installing the new meters and are nearing completion of this project. It will be a few months before we can determine how effective the new water meters are at accounting for water usage.
With the new tax, the Water Department would be able to construct much needed storage facilities to store chemicals used to treat the water. This one step would allow us to buy chemicals in bulk, thereby, saving as much as 75% of the cost. We would be able to buy leak detectors to find the leaks we now have. We would be able to buy cameras to snake through the pipes to see where any future breaks might occur. We would be able to buy a jetter to clear sewer lines, versus renting one. We could set up our own lab to test the water, thereby, saving the city $60,000 a year.
The purchase of an electrical generator would allow the sewer plant to generate its own electricity during peak demand times when the cost of electricity is high, saving the city money in the long run. Together these changes will save us almost $150,000 a year. There are many city needs that could be met by this tax increase. Without it, everyone’s sewer rates would go up by 35% and our infrastructure issues will continue.
The other component of the 1% tax is that one-quarter of that will go to the operation and repair of the Auditorium. There are a number of repairs that should soon be made to the exterior to preserve integrity of the building. The one-quarter would provide more than $250,000 annually to the Auditorium. The CAPC would receive none of the monies the tax generates for the Aud.
The tax will allow formation of an Auditorium Committee composed of qualified citizens from the city who will administer the revenue. The commission will have the ability to hire a director to oversee day-to-day operation of the Aud, and search out new productions to bring to town. The $110,000 the CAPC now spends on the Aud would be converted to an account to pay for new productions for the Aud. The CAPC would also continue to promote the Aud through budgeted line items.
By year three of the new tax, the CAPC would reduce its contribution from $110,000 to $55,000. This reduction in commitment to the Aud would allow the CAPC to begin the process of bringing a much needed parking facility to property the city already owns on Main Street, less than one block from the Aud.
This facility would also provide much needed parking downtown and allow the city to grow. Revenue from a parking facility would become an excellent source of income for the city. A new parking structure could provide restrooms and an elevator to access the pedestrian bridge over Main Street. We have been discussing parking downtown since 1972, now is time to do something about it.
Our choice is clear. Vote for the tax and allow the city to address the issues that have been unattainable for the last few decades. The alternative is to have our rates for water and sewer go up by 35% while we continue to have infrastructure issues for decades to come. Please support a temporary ten-year tax to once and for all deal with some of our most pressing issues.