History argues that giving the city council more money to spend won't result in them using it to make promised repairs. Rates were raised in 2009 with a specific list of projects used as justification -- but even after we paid higher rates, many of the projects were not delivered. Rates were again raised in 2012, and some of the same 2009 projects were used as justification for the 2012 rate increase -- but again, many of the projects were not delivered. For the most recent rate increases, some of the projects used to justify it are the same ones that were promised in 2009 and 2012.
Recently, the Utility Ratepayers Advisory Panel (URAP) recommended that the city council conduct annual reviews of the promised utility projects to try to add some accountability to the process, but the council refused to even vote on that recommendation.
This city council doesn’t want to hold itself accountable, so we must.