When the Board of Trustees approved a series of water rate increases at the November 15 meeting, you can bet that there were some hands rubbing wildly together in the Peoples Party hierarchy dungeon. Poison Pen, who has morphed into the "family friendly" PH Voice on the Journal Star website, made a comment that this will be a 17% increase (over a 4 year period); that the water quality in the Heights is bad; then cascaded into her usual diatribe against everything that has happened in the Heights over the past 6 1/2 years. Of course, Poison Pen aka PH Voice aka Lynn Brown, also happens to be the niece of former Mayor Earl Carter... but, per usual, that's beside the point (sort of).
The real point is that this certainly isn't the first time that the water rates have been raised in Peoria Heights. They've been raised several times over the past number of years; because, you know, costs for everything have risen over the same time span, particularly in the areas of expertise involved with water line work.
What one might be unaware of is that the water rates in Peoria Heights minimum charge were raised from $22.20 to $36.00 in one fell swoop... back on December 21, 1999. For those of you without a Radio Shack calculator, that comes to an increase of $13.80, per billing; a percentage increase of 62%! In ONE year. Lynn Brown's uncle Earl Carter was mayor at the time. And, amazingly, former Trustee Andrea Pendleton was a trustee at that time, and did not hesitate to vote in favor of the same.
Now, that 62% increase in ONE year sort of dwarfs the 17% (actually, it's 16%... trust me, that's what it is... but, Poison Pen's 17% statement is close enough not to get too worked up about) over a FOUR year period, don't you think? However, you might ask, why was this astronomical water increase, under the Carter regime, not a major campaign issue in 2005? I have to assume that they were trying to be proactive instead of reactive in the maintenance and improvements of the Water Services. After all, that is what then-Supt. of Public Works Kevin Mattingly kept saying when he spoke in favor of the increase. Y'see, therein lies the difference between the politics of the Peoples Party hierarchy and its mouthpiece, Poison Pen, and the "politics" of the Village since May 2005. We're not all that concerned about who came up with what, so long as it is in the best interest of the Village. Maintaining a strong dollar balance in the Water Funds secures our ability to continue having our own Water Department. That's a good thing.
Poison Pen doesn't stop to consider that the $1.6 million dollar improvements that are presently being completed, which include replacement of the main water main from below the bluff to the water towers above, and the new well being put in, might cause costs to increase; nope, not her. Nope, not the Peoples Party hierarchy... doesn't matter WHAT happens while we're around - it's WRONG. Poison Pen doesn't investigate to find out that we meet or EXCEED each and EVERY E.P.A. criteria regarding our water quality... or that it's the same water that was around when Uncle Earl was the mayor... nope, it's just BAD water because Uncle Earl is no longer at the controls.
Want to know what a good deal the Peoria Heights residents continue to get regarding their water rates, in comparison to the water rates from Illinois American, just across the "border"? The Journal Star article didn't go into detail about that fact, though it really should have. Illinois American is asking for a rate increase in short order, so let's let the following quote from the Journal Star regarding this request speak for itself...
"By this time next year, some central Illinoisans could end up paying water bills nearly 20 percent higher than today.
Illinois-American Water filed paperwork Thursday with state regulators seeking a $180 million rate increase for its consumers across the state - including Peoria and Pekin residents - largely to pay for infrastructure improvements.
The increase, if approved in full in September 2012 by the Illinois Commerce Commission, would add $7.06 to the typical consumer's bill each month, raising it to approximately $43.65 monthly - before additional taxes some communities tack on."
That's $43.65 PER MONTH. On December 2, 2016, the base rate for the Heights water will be $48.15 EVERY THREE MONTHS. That would be $130.95 for three months for Illinois American. That's 272% HIGHER than our rates.
Yes, it's still quite a deal for our water customers. Yes, we are taking major steps in upgrading our water infrastructure. Yes, the costs of doing such makes it necessary to stay ahead of the curve by raising the water rates.
Just like Earl Carter and the Peoples Party did on December 21, 1999. But a whole lot less.
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