Water board increases rates

By Steven Jones
Sept. 27, 2005
The Selma Times-Journal
A water board public meeting Monday got so heated a police officer and a deputy found it necessary to step between a customer and Evelyn Huff, the Dallas County Water Authority chairman.
The meeting, held at Tipton Middle School to discuss a 66 percent increase in rates, was attended by more than 300 customers.
The meeting was so crowded that it had to be postponed while the board moved it from the school cafeteria to the gym, where the benches were filled and customers stood in the doorway to hear the speaker used as a sound system.
Although the meeting was held to give customers a chance to ask questions about the increase, most of the attendees gave statements about what they thought of the increase.
"This is really taxation without representation," said Bill Minor, County School Board member and principal of Phoenix School. "I'm calling for a boycott. They can't cut all our water off."
Napoleon Brazier, a retired citizen of Selmont, said his bill tripled, going from $21 to $66 in a month.
"People living on a fixed income can't afford that," he said.
Debra Hornbuckle, of 209 Buckner, said she had a rental apartment that was empty. After the rate increase, she said the water bill to the property went to more than $40.
"It's not pouring out," she said.
Billy Hooker accused the board of using Selmont residents to pay for the new water system in Craig Industrial Park.
"I guarantee that's what it is," he said. "Let them (industrial park tenants) pay."
Board members defended the action.
They said the increase was necessary for the authority to pay for renovations to the water system, which hasn't had major repairs in more than 30 years.
Paul Jackson of the engineering firm Goodwyn, Mills and Kawood said the repairs to the system would cost at least $4 million.
He said his firm was responsible for cost estimates on the job and engineering.
Board members said the rate increase would pay for the new system and allow the authority to meet water quality standards in the future.
The board hired a consulting firm to help set the new rates.
"We had to start somewhere," William Hasberry, authority vice chairman, said. "Give us some time to look at what we're doing."
Sandra Dildy, a former water authority member and current customer, suggested that those customers able to should switch to a well and a septic tank.
"My well is still in my laundry room," she said. "My septic tank is in my backyard."
April Albright, authority attorney, said the board was working hard for its customers.
"They are trying to do what they feel best," she said.
Minor demanded the authority reduce the rate increase.
"Reconvene. Reduce this ridiculous water rate," he said.
Chairperson Evelyn Huff made a statement on behalf of the board after about an hour of criticism from customers.
"I would hope all of us would want what's best for the community," she said.
Huff said she didn't believe customers were being fair with the board.
"Over the last (few) years, when your bill was late did you all pay late fees?" she asked.
Almost 300 people said "yes!" simultaneously.
Huff, like Albright, defended the actions of the board, and said the authority was willing to be flexible.
"I'm ready to go back to the drawing board," she said.
During her statement many members of the audience walked out, shaking their heads.
After Huff's statement, Dildy confronted her. Dildy said the board should take a pay cut, citing her $50 per month salary when she was a member. Board members currently make $200 per month. The board chairman makes $250.
Dildy and Huff exchanged words. The audience drowned out most of the shouting match, and law enforcement on the scene moved between them.
After the exchange, Commissioner Connell Towns, who said at Monday's commission meeting that he supported the increase, told the audience that he was ready to lower the rate.
"I'm going to meet with the water board," he said. "We're going to come up with a solution to lower your water rate."
Still, several audience members wanted to know what would happen to their current bills.
"Give everybody back their bills they're used to until you can come up with an increase we're used to," Teresa Williams demanded.
The authority will meet today at 5 p.m. at the Water Authority on Old Montgomery Highway.
Huff said the authority could not make any decisions until today's meeting, but rate changes would be a consideration.
"We are definitely going to have a discussion on the rate increase," she said.
Still, she defended the increase, saying the authority gave a lot of notice about the change long before last night's meeting. She also said it was in line with the rest of the state.
"We're probably one of the lowest," she said.
While the rate increase was only for about 66 percent, Huff said there could be a lot of reasons for bills that doubled and tripled.
"It possibly could be a combination of things," she said. "It could be a meter misread; it could be a leak. It could be keyed in wrong. It might be 12 people living in the house."
As far as her confrontation with Dildy, Huff said Dildy and other past water board members were part of the problem.
"Ms. Dildy was a previous board member," she said. "There were no repairs done."
Huff said that same board was also responsible for a contract that cost the board about $50,000 a month to manage the system.
"We were locked into that contract," she said. "This board bought out that contract for almost $1 million."