Our new CEO is on a talking tour touting the need for water rate increases. The presentation starts out with the gloomy description of an ancient water system, recent water main breaks, and boil water advisories. Think Chamblee-Dunwoody at the Knoll.
OK.
What's that got to do with anything, or more to the point, with that one particular something? You know, the consent decree that DeKalb will NOT meet and that will likely cost $100M in fines? Is a federal judge going to look favorably on a Water Crisis Tour when the decree covers SEWAGE? Ya think? And the CEO isn't alone calling for a water rate increase as she is being joined with local current and former politicians.
There's a lot wrong with this.
There is the aforementioned diversion, obfuscation of the real issue: sewage. Have these politicians learned nothing from their recent spanking? We want straight talk and transparency. This leads directly to the most important issue: we need a sewage rate increase far, far more than a water increase, if we need an increase at all. Even if this is the case, this is a service, and it seems reasonable that those not using the service should not bear the burden of repairing the broken system. As it so happens, there are folks in DeKalb, even here in Dunwoody, that are not on the DeKalb sewer system. And let us not forget DeKalb's horrific history with managing these services (water and sewer) and the incredible incompetence of their billing.
Is a rate increase the best way to handle this?
This requires asking some questions, yet to be asked, including, what would it cost to operate our water and sewer systems if they were [magically] brought up where they need to be? Is the current revenue, at the current rates, sufficient to operate such a system? If the answers are yes, then there should be no increase. If the answer is "more than sufficient," then there should be a rate decrease (don't hold your breath). If the answer is no (which will be every politician's knee-jerk response) then the rate should be increased to cover these new, ideally optimal, operating costs.
Then we deal with how to get these systems to where they need to be: a one-time assessment.
One time assessment-one time investment. Like replacing your roof. You bite the bullet, get it done, and don't worry about it for the life of the roof. Fix the water system. Fix the sewer system. Don't bother us again until we're back in this situation, and don't expect us to pay out the nose every month from now til eternity. And yes, we will get back in this situation, because no matter what gets done, DeKalb will NOT maintain these systems. Anyone who thinks they will has been at the mushrooms.
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