Ed Archuleta, the chief executive officer of the El Paso Water Utilities’ Public Service Board, promises that substantial reductions in stormwater utility rates will be unveiled at Wednesday’s evening’s special PSB meeting.
But, he said, the utility would not release those newly proposed rates before the 5 p.m. meeting at the utility’s headquarters on Hawkins Boulevard.
“The reason, to be frank, is we’re still working on it,” he said Tuesday. “Secondly, if the apartment association lawsuit had not hit, we might have done that. But we want to give everyone the chance to come to the meeting and get the information there.”
The association, representing dozens of apartment owners, has charged in a lawsuit filed last week that the stormwater rates are unfair to and discriminatory against poor and Hispanic renters.
Car dealers also have threatened to challenge the legality of the utility in a lawsuit of their own.
Homeowners are angry and businesses and school districts are in an uproar over the stormwater fees added to water bills for March. The Ysleta school district is refusing to pay its bill.
“We have listened thoroughly to people at all the public meetings … and I think we intend to make some significant changes,” Archuleta said.
The utility was established by City Council and placed under the water utility’s Public Service Board to repair and pay for about half of the more than $200 million in damage left behind by the monsoon storms and record floods in August 2006.
When those projects are out of the way, the utility will be responsible for new drainage control projects and for the maintenance of facilities that were the responsibility of the city Streets Department before March 1.
Residential water customers were broken into three tiers of rates ranging from $2.28 to $9.50 a month based on the size of their homes.
Nonresidential customers – businesses, shopping malls, school districts and churches – are being assessed a fee of $4.85 for every 2,000 square feet of impervious areas including driveways, parking lots and rooftops.
Those charges have added thousands of dollars to the bills of those water customers with large parking areas.
The budget approved by the PSB for the year starting March 1 is $21 million, of which $8.2 million will be used to start, operate and maintain the new utility. Another $10.3 million was budgeted for planning and capital expenses, and that is the area Archuleta said will be reduced.
“Planning will continue and be done by next year,” he said. “What we’re stretching out will the capital improvements program.”
David Crowder can be reached at dcrowder@epmediagroup.com
Mayor John Crook
May 7, 2008
Dear El Paso,
I want to let you know that we grossly over charged you on the infamous Water Tax. I let Ed over the PSB come up with a budget. He claimed he needed 50 million a year so he could buy new equipment for El Paso Water Utility’s. So, we put together a public campaign to tell the cheap people of El Paso we were only going to collect 20.8 million. We under calculated those dam car dealers and those low life bottom feeder apartment owners. We felt that the apartment owners could pass on there charge to the welfare dependent residents. We thought this was a good plan since we screwed up and didn’t collect all the government money from Storm06. We figured we would get the government back one way or another. So, now we come to you crapy business owners and offer you a 45% reduction on your Stormwater fee. Residents of El Paso can kiss my butt.. You owe me!! Like Joyce said, squeaky wheel gets the grease. Now Ed is mad at me because he can’t get a new dump truck this year. He has to wait till next year when the rates go back up.
Sincerely,
The Tax Man
Gloria Alvarez
May 7, 2008
The whole thing is unfair, also the sanitation department, who is charging to pick up trash and recycle material is not doing a very good job. First if you container is not up to their standards they don't empty it, but we still pay the same amount, I am in favor of skipping if the can deduct it from our bill. They have also gotten very sloppy, they throw the containers around and break them, and try to get them fixed or replaced. If you are wanting more money, improve your service. As for the Storm Water Fee, it should be up to the voters, not just a small department.
louie
May 7, 2008
For once, the city and PSB are showing some foresight into helping El Paso avert a disaster. The city has a long history of doing the opposite of popular opinion, and usually ends up costing the taxpayers in the future. Yeah, the city screwed up in not properly informing the public or even proposing a referendum on the subject. But the fact the city is trying to prevent another crippling flood deserves some praise. El Paso tax rates and home appraisals are some of the lowest in the country. I don't know why some people constantly complain about the taxes. Try living in San Antonio or Dallas and pay taxes there. You'll appreciate El Paso tax rates a whole lot more.
Gerald
May 8, 2008
Louie, your comment is incorrect. El Paso has the highest tax rate in Texas. I have a house in San Antonio that is valued at$300,000 in El Paso my home is valued at $250,000 my taxes in El Paso are $6,000.00 higher. You are getting screwed in El Paso! This crazy water tax needs to go. NOW!