CM Sullivan
CM Pennington CM Bradford
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Commentary: America is awake and angry
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Houston City Council Member Oliver Pennington cited the current economic and jobs slump for voting against an increase of nearly 30 percent in the water and sewer rates of the average Houston single-family residential water/sewer customer. Council Members Mike Sullivan and C. O. Bradford also voted no.
The increase, approved by the city council as a hedge against debt downgrades for continuing to operate with multi-million deficits, will be phased in over three years and could bring the monthly bill of a 6,000-gallon, single family water customer to as much as $60 when fully phased in.
“The economic downturn has hit District G, as well as all the other districts in the city,” Pennington said. "It’s just an unfortunate time. It’s one thing when we’re all making a lot of money, but it’s another thing when times are really tough.”
That’s not the only reason Pennington voted against the measure, however. “I voted against it because I think there are some less costly alternatives and also because they (the alternatives) are less likely to be violative (sic) of Proposition One, which was approved by the voters in ’04 and limits the increases to something like the rate of inflation plus population growth plus improvements necessary to maintain the system.”
Asked whether the Proposition One formula could create the potential for a lawsuit on the issue, Pennington said, “Well, you know, several of the council members asked the city attorney for his opinion on that and, as I understand it, another council member said that she understands that the city was planning a declaratory judgment to get the rates validated. So I guess there is some concern about it, yes.”
A lawsuit, obviously, would add even more cost to the taxpayers. “That’s right, Pennington said, adding, "And, you know, politically, it’s more difficult to vote for something that may or may not be legal. I’m not saying if it is or isn’t, but, it makes it more difficult to vote for it.”
Houston water and sewer customers will not be the only ones affected by the increase. Houston sells water to 40 other municipalities that, according to knowledgeable sources, will simply pass the added costs along to end-users.
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