Concern about rate increases
Some city residents are shocked by the 75% increase in water, sewer bills – from $80 a month to $140
St. Marks residents held a community meeting last week at Bo Lynn’s to discuss their concerns about the steep 75% increase in rates for water and sewer. They asked for a town workshop the next night at the city commission meeting to come up with ideas. PHOTO BY LYNDA KINSEY
By LEGION TAYLOR and LYNDA KINSEY
A group of St. Marks residents led by Tim Roach appeared at last week’s St. Marks City Commission meeting to request a workshop about the steep increase recently in the city’s water and sewer rates.
At the City Hall meeting on Thursday, Sept. 14, the residents expressed concerns that the rate increase had blindsided many of them, and that a workshop should be held both to discuss the rate increase and to brainstorm other ways of raising money for St. Marks, rather than the residents paying directly.
During last month’s City Commission meeting, the commissioners voted to raise the prices of the city’s water utilities by 75%, the first increase in the city’s water utilities in several years. For many, the increase came as a surprise, with Roach stating at the meeting that one woman thought her bill had gone up because she had company stay with her over the course of the month, not realizing there had been a rate increase.
The residents suggested a few possible solutions, such as looking into ways to reduce expenses as much as possible or to increase revenue from other sources, such as collecting boat ramp fees. Roach also brought up that many of the residents who were affected felt as though City Hall wasn’t communicating these decisions very well, and they wanted to ensure that was discussed.
No date or time was set for the workshop during the meeting.
A day earlier, Wednesday, Sept. 13, a group of residents met at Bo Lynn’s store to discuss their concerns about the city’s utility rates.
“When I first got my bill and saw that the increase went from $83 to $144, I went through town passing out these flyers,” Roach said, adding: “And this is just for water, sewage and trash.”
“My toilet flushes fine but the water doesn’t taste any better,” Roach said.
More than 30 people attended the Wednesday community meeting expressing various concerns.
One citizen thought that the city was spending too much money on a city manager while other small cities operate for much less, St. Marks is a city of only 302 people.
Discussions came up about the boat ramp fees not being collected and that no one puts money in the envelopes.
Allen Hobbs, former owner of Shell Island Fish Camp who had served for decades on the city commission, expressed alternative options such as selling the old Seminole Refinery property on the St. Marks River.
Most of the residents stated that they didn’t know anything about the increase until they got their monthly bill and more than half raised their hand when asked how many were on fixed incomes.
Ryder Rudd, a former city commissioner who stepped down because a state ethics law prevents lobbyists from holding elected office and whose wife, Sharon Rudd, was appointed to the city commission seat he had held, said that changes need to occur, adding that a new city commission was just elected and citizens need to just give them a chance.
“The water and wastewater fund had been drastically under funded,” Rudd said, adding that the issue was neglected for 10 years and the city needs to catch up on rates.
Rudd said he thought the city has bunch of commissioners who care and are going to get this city headed in the right direction. There is also a new city attorney and this guy is sharp.”
Others agreed that smaller increases over a longer period of time would have been much easier for residents to handle.
Resident Billy Bishop suggested that they appoint someone to speak for the group and ask for a workshop at the commission meeting where everyone can throw out their ideas and concerns.
“A spokesperson could ask for the workshop,” Bishop said. “If everyone gets up there saying the same things over and over the commissioners are going stop hearing it after a while. “
Roach was appointed to be the spokesperson for the group with Lucy Gee as alternate at the city commission meeting to be held the following evening.
In other matters:
• Shadrach Hines spoke on behalf of the St. Marks Waterfronts Florida committee asking for community help for the Brew Fest set for Oct. 28.
Profits from the Fest will be put back into St. Marks to improve things around the city.
• The Community Redevelopment Area that St. Marks had put in place in 2007 still hasn’t reached the threshold needed for it to pay off, both because of the slow growth of the city and because of the inflated prices of the housing market when the CRA was implemented. The city commission isn’t sure the CRA is right for St. Marks anymore, but they’re going to keep an eye on it and see before making any decisions.
• New City Attorney Bill Garner has been asked to look into the way laws have been applied when it comes to the construction of pole barns within the city of St. Marks, but at the time of the meeting had no conclusive results yet.
