In their yearly bout with the Santa Clara Valley Water District,
South County citizens squared off with board members over what they
say is the sixth consecutive unnecessary water rate increase.
In their yearly bout with the Santa Clara Valley Water District, South County citizens squared off with board members over what they say is the sixth consecutive unnecessary water rate increase.
At a Thursday night meeting in Gilroy, Morgan Hill resident Terry Mahurin said the district spends too much on staffing and overhead costs.
“In 1998, the district had 432 employees,” Mahurin said. Today, the district has about 820 employees. The distract has a budget of $365 million.
In its 2008 report, the water board proposes a 6.4 percent increase in agricultural farm rates, from $15.75 per acre foot to $16.50. The district proposes a 7.8 percent increase for residents, or about 69-cents per month for a family of five. Officials justify the increase by saying there’s the usual 3.9 percent cost of living increase, and that other costs, for example transporting water from one place to another, have gone up.
“We’ve been very cooperative with the agriculture folks,” Water District Board of Directors Vice Chair Sig Sanchez said.
Only about 20 members of the public showed up at the Gilroy City Council chambers to hear directors explain the reasons behind the proposed rate hikes.
Santa Clara County Farm Bureau Executive Director Jenny Derry said there was apathy in the farming community.
“It doesn’t matter how many people go to the meetings, because the rates go up anyway,” Derry said.
