September 17, 2024 |
Photo – Petition QR code – Courtesy Melissa Baca
A Rawlins resident has started a petition to get the city government to lower water rates.
Melissa Baca moved from California to Rawlins in 2021. At that time, Baca said she was paying $58 a month for water to her four-bedroom home. Since then, the city has increased the water rates several times. Baca blamed prior administrations for failing to address the city’s water infrastructure.
In April, City Manager Tom Sarvey informed the governing body that the city needed to bring in an additional $2.5 million a year to pay for necessary water infrastructure repairs. Sarvey said if past administrations had kept the water rates in line with expenses, the city wouldn’t be in this situation. The most recent rate hike was needed to help pay for those improvements.
Baca said her monthly water bill has increased from $58 in 2021 to $200 now. She said her nephew recently received a $400 bill after watering his lawn.
When the water increases were first proposed, the Rawlins city council directed residents toward government programs that assist with paying utility bills. Baca said those programs are only available for low-income residents.
Baca said she understands the need to increase the water rates to cover the cost of maintaining the city’s aging water system. However, Baca said the size of the rate hike surprised her.
After having her water bill increase nearly 245% over the course of three years, Baca has created a petition on the website Change.org to “ask the city government and utility companies to reconsider these exorbitantly high water rates.” The petition organizer said city employees have told her that more increases are not off the table. Baca encouraged citizens to voice their opposition to additional water rate hikes.
As of Monday afternoon, Baca’s petition had garnered 16 signatures. Despite overwhelming support online, Baca said Rawlins residents appear reluctant to sign her petition. The petition organizer is hopeful that more people will join her cause.
Baca said many residents voice their frustrations about the water rates on a Rawlins-specific Facebook page. The petition organizer said those concerns would be better off expressed during a city council meeting.
Baca said residents shouldn’t be expected to shoulder the burden for mistakes made by prior administrations. The petition organizer said she doesn’t know how the city can make up such a huge deficit, but suggested taking money out of other departments.
Baca said she has reached out to Governor Mark Gordon’s office asking for help with the city’s water problems. The petition organizer said she believes state and federal money must be available to support the city.
If financial assistance can be found, Baca said the city must use the money to lower the water rates and plan for the future.
Baca said she will be at tonight’s Rawlins city council meeting to bring her concerns to the governing body.
A link to Baca’s Change.org petition will be included with this story when it is posted to the Bigfoot99 website later today.
Reduce Exorbitant Water Rates in Rawlins, Wyoming: https://www.change.org/p/reduce-exorbitant-water-rates-in-rawlins-wyoming?utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=qr_code_flyer&utm_campaign=starter_dashboard&utm_content=flyer-a&recruited_by_id=87ac61d0-ad80-11e7-85e0-d5638bb2d314&recruiter=808142821
