Mayor & Commissioners Postpone Decision on Nearly 60% Sewer Fund Rate Increase Until After Election

Elkton Town Hall, April 15, 2010 – The Mayor and Commissioners of Elkton decided to postpone a vote on a nearly 60% increase in water utility rates until after the May election.   A report by the Municipal and Financial Services Group found that Elkton needs a 12% increase for the water fund and a 59% increase for the sewer fund over four-year years if the town is to maintain adequate revenue for the system.  When the town board first heard these numbers on January 13, they mulled over the options, causing once commissioner to say that the increase is a little hard to take.  “It’s not a little hard, it’s very hard,” the consultant responded as he quickly reminded the board to not “shoot the messenger.”  The consultant also discussed with the board the importance of hook-up fees as a way to fund major expansion, cautioning the political leadership that when they eliminate revenue from major projects they’re shifting costs over to ratepayers.  As they pondered the impact of the rate increase, on April evening, a few weeks before Elkton voters go to the polls, Commissioner Jablonski suggested the board wait until after the election to vote on the rate.  That idea was agreeable to the political leadership and the administration.

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