Independent Editor,
I read with interest and dismay the headline article in the Tuesday, Dec. 8 edition of The Argus-Press regarding the 7.8 percent increase in water and sewer rates.
In the very first sentence the article states that city officials point to the replacement of lead water service lines at residents’ homes as the main reason for this increase. I am dismayed because Mayor Eveleth stated in a letter dated Oct. 28, 2020, “While the service line is technically owned by the property owner, the city of Owosso will be spending the next several years replacing lead and galvanized service lines at no direct costs to the owner.” So I ask, which is it Mr. Mayor? Kind of looks like you and the other members of the city council are on different pages, which is extremely confusing for me and I would assume all Owosso tax payers.
I also find it interesting that the mayor stated that he was glad he had an experienced council to make tough decisions. I wonder if the “experienced council’s” decision was made now, right after the November elections, hoping that residents will forget about the constant water and sewer rate increases before the next city council election. I know that I won’t.
I, like most senior citizens in our community, just received a 1.3 percent increase in their Social Security payment, and in one fell swoop the city council took all of that away from us. What about those seniors that live in the city of Corunna, Caledonia and Owosso townships that receive their water from the city of Owosso? It will be even harder for them to make ends meet.
If the city has to request these large increases in the water and sewer rates year after year it would appear to me that there is a bigger problem somewhere in the management of the water and sewer department’s finances. No other utility provider that I can think of assesses rate increases this large year after year.
Lee Mills, Owosso