June 12, 2009
Fosters
Rochester has to bite the bullet on this one.
Little in life is free. Neither the air we breathe, the energy with which we control the climate in our homes, the land on which we live, nor the water we use and dispose.
Rochester residents can expect a boost in their water and sewer rates next month. The city’s Utility Advisory Board has recommended a hike in rates each year for the next six years. It is not a minor increase either. Sewer rates are already running ahead of water rates. The proposal made by the UAB would see the sewer rate jump 8 percent and the cost of water rise 3.8 percent.
It costs more to let the water run down the drain or flush it than it does to buy it — and it appears the gap will continue to increase.
Taxes are rising and so, too, are fees. Water and sewer fees are most obvious of all and affects residents and businesses throughout the city.