Sewer Charge Increase Reeks

So, did you overlook the little card from the Costa Mesa Sanitary District you received in your mail this week? I almost did. It came in the same mail delivery with their little newsletter.

This inconspicuous little card announced a public hearing to be held on August 6th at 6:00 P.M. at the Costa Mesa Neighborhood Community Center on Park Avenue - beside Lion's Park - the purpose of which is "to consider any protests to the proposed increase in the Sanitary District's sewer collections rates charged at your property and receive comments on the unchanged trash collection rate."

As I looked over this little card I scanned down to the chart which showed the existing rates and the proposed rates and just kind of rocked back in my chair and contemplated the information. The good news is that no increase in the trash fees is being recommended. That's where the good news stops. It seems the good folks who run the Sanitary District think it's necessary to increase the sewer rates by a whopping 50%!

I went to the Sanitary District web site and found the most current financial information - which is two years old, almost to the day. I called the office to get more current information, which brought me 12 months closer. It seems that The District received revenue from sewer charges for the year ending June 30, 2006 of $2,279,091, up just under 20% from the previous year. Information for the year just about to end will, apparently, not be available until October!

I guess it behooves us to attend the public hearing in August to find out just why the current leadership of the Sanitary District, including former Costa Mesa Mayor Gary Monahan, feel it's necessary to kick the residents of this city in the teeth with a 50% increase in sewer charges. I understand the need to "notice" the public about this proposed rate increase, but I kind of expected more information about it in their newsletter since it was delivered at the same time. Obviously, the Sanitary District needs to work on their communication skills.