Friday CSD held a meeting to discuss their financial shortfall and ways to cut costs and increase revenue to avoid running out of money before the end of this fiscal year. The auditor told the board president Emery Ross that if CSD kept going the way they are now CSD would be out of funds by April 2011. The board also directed Charise Reeves the CFO to start the Prop 218 process and to give the board several alternative rate and/or service charge increases for the board to review at the next meeting. Folks, this is very troubling but not surprising news.
Some directors blamed ratepayers who protested the two recent Prop218 rate increases. The board decided by a board vote, the ratepayers did not have a vote. Blaming others for what was their responsibility is wrong. The first Prop218 meeting for a water rate increase, they proposed 4 yr increases and voted in a 2-year increase. At the second Prop218 meeting for increasing the assessment on vacant lots, it was determined, that they had to do a ballot vote and so could not proceed with their Prop218 and it was stopped by a vote of the board again not the ratepayers.
Our current situation is not the fault of any one board, management or ratepayers but the cumulative bad decisions made by many over years. In addition, laying blame at this stage of the game is pointless. If we do not do a Prop218, we will not have water services in April. If we have no water what are our homes and property worth? Those of us with mortgages will find that we cannot get fire insurance.
I am afraid that as ratepayers, we really do not have a choice here and we will have to face the situation. What we can do going forward is attend meetings so that we know how the money is being spent before the fact not after.
In closing, I have to commend President Ross (who is running for reelection) for having the intestinal fortitude to start and have this Prop218 process completed just before the election.
I agree with you Vickie that the CSD is in trouble, BUT CSD needs to cut at business level instead of just slapping the rate payers with increases, why don't they take furlow days, why don't the board volunteer for their meetings, there are lots of ways they could cut back but it is too easy to just pass their incompetence on the rate payers. The reason the last prop 218 failed was because the office/whatever she is called girl did not check out all the laws before she just sent out an illegal document and they were going to get sued. Someone needs to hold her feet to the fire.
ReplyDeletePres. Ross did make several suggestions as to how they could cut operating costs. Such as salary cuts, reducing overtime and working with PGE and MID to negotiate lower rates. Also to see if they could restructure existing loan. No decisions were made other than to go forward with the Prop218.
ReplyDeletePres. Ross wanted to move on these but some directors wanted to lay blame to the problem instead of trying to find ways to fix it. In fact Sally left in the middle of meeting saying she had had enough....
Yes, so true about Sally. I do not know if the problem is all the second grade behavior I've see with this board or not. I have not seen any real action on this current board about solutions. They should have had more info on Prop 218 before the increase proposal on empty lot owners. Why not increase their yearly rate by $10.00 each year for 5 years. They do need to share in more of the costs.
ReplyDeleteVicki,
ReplyDeleteYou are right that we all need to go to the meetings but if they don't listen anyway... what's the point? First and foremost, the board needs to make cuts but it sounds like those suggestions were ignored and the board wants us, the people paying for CSD's blunders to take the heat and pay higher rates. It's not our fault! We're already broke! Find another way! I'd suggest firing all the people they have reading meters and fixing leaks because they AREN'T DOING THEIR JOBS!!!!
You girls have my vote!We need directors with business experience, common sense,and a genuine concern for our community and citizens.
ReplyDeleteI just read that Richardson's blog and all he wants to do is fight and say bad things about others. It is shameful. He won't get my vote.
ReplyDeleteThanks all for your comments. I too am very unhappy about the proposed rate increase. We are left holding the bag for the poor judgment of others. I once saw a small statue that showed a man standing with a giant screw through him and the caption was “The American Taxpayer”. I tried find a picture of that but did find this one (see right).
ReplyDeleteI have run a clean campaign and will continue to do so regardless of anything negative written or said about me. This election is not about personal grudges it is about getting our CSD back on firm financial ground. That is what I am focused on. What is happening as CSD it too important to all of us. I believe that the voters will vote for whom they think is most qualified and who best will represent them at CSD.
Yeah, Emery has made suggestions but I think he is only doing that for the election.He has been on the board for awhile now and stood in the way of progress until election time. The things he suggests he knows won't go through. He pouts like a child and his bully buddy Bill thinks he can push his weight around...Sally is a seat warmer. This place needs to change. Glad to be moving away from here. The CSD is a bust. And someone mentioned the leaks...How many damn leaks do they have..I hear those guys are running their paychecks sky hight with overtime...This is bull. Good luck ladies.
ReplyDelete