By Jordan Cohen
WARREN
A two-judge Court of Jurisdiction approved rate increases for the next two years for the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District, which supplies water to Youngstown, Niles and McDonald.
Residents of the three communities will see their rates increase by 9.9 percent beginning July 1 and 11.8 percent in July 2012.
The MVSD froze its rates this fiscal year, which ends June 30.
None of the three communities voiced any objection to the increase, which was approved by Judges Peter Kontos of Trumbull County and James C. Evans of Mahoning County. All MVSD rate requests must be reviewed by the panel.
“They came to us two years ago with their plan, and we were in agreement,” said John Casciano, Youngstown water commissioner, who attended the Friday hearing. “After looking at what needs to be done, we deemed their capital improvements necessary.”
MVSD Chief Engineer Tom Holloway said earlier that the increase amounts to 15 cents per 1,000 gallons this July and 20 cents per 1,000 gallons the following year.
Holloway said the average family of four uses about 5,000 gallons per month meaning the increase would be 75 cents monthly beginning July 1 and $1 per month in July 2012.
Atty. Charles Richards, MVSD legal counsel, said the rate increase will enable the district to qualify for $23 million in state loans to pay for a number of capital improvements. Among the projects and their costs: Two new settling basins and a re-carbonation system to reduce buildup of calcium carbonate, $16.7 million, and new chemical building for chemical storage and feed equipment used in water treatment, $8.2 million.
Richards said the loan providers, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio Water Development Authority, may not require MVSD to repay $2 million of the loans “as long as we stay on a solid financial footing.”
The last time the Court of Jurisdiction approved an MVSD rate increase was in 2007 at rates that were slightly higher than the new increases, Holloway said.
Comments
The money that you save by refinancing every month can be sensibly used to repay your unique loan or to upsurge your savings. Do not forget to search online for "Mortgage Refinance 123" they found 3.17% rate for me. They taught me how to refinance smart.
Gotta pay for those cadillac healthcare and golden pension plans. Of course none of the cities objected. Once again the taxpayer and water user gets screwed.
Leave iot to Memmer he's just there to collect health care benefits,
The MVSD has long been a dumping ground for jobs for political stooges and sign pounders.
The place is over staffed by 50%
Infante and Will;iams have used it to rewards their cronies ..,
As a Youngstown resident my water rates have already gone up along with sewer and garbage pick up. Are we faced with another increase in July? As someone on Social Security, that I worked my whole life for, I've been told we don't need an increase for the past two years. Seems funny to me that this over bloated service I receive should be able to get along without one by cutting back 10% as I have had to do.
time to dig wells and put in leech beds and get off the grid..
I got out 16 years ago, I am so glad I left the area ! I feel sorry for those that are still there. Crime and corruption abound in the cities
well we got to pay them to sleep at McD the first few hours of the day
gp45, I hate to burst your bubble, but this isn't just about you and other Youngstown residents. It's about the rest of us who are paying water rates that are at least double what you're paying. And our sewer rates are about equal to our water rates. So if we owe $35.00 for water, we owe $35.00 for sewer. That totals $70 for the month. And that DOES NOT include trash pickup. So it's okay if you're rates increase. How about if the rest of us stay at our current rates until you Youngstown residents catch up.
GOING GREEN AND CUTTING DOWN COSTS
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