WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 1977, PAGE 5 Town Treasurer's Report Water and sewerbills EDITOR'S NOTE The following is a report by Town Treasurer Forbes McEwen, explaining the rationale behind the new water and sewer bills which have caused so much controversy in the past week. This report was made at council Monday, and distributed at a public meeting at R. A. Hutchison School Sunday night. By Forbes McEwen Town Treasurer The following report is intended to attempt to give a better understanding of the history and the effect of the Region assuming sanitary sewer costs as an additional charge on the water bill. The Municipality did indicate on its information sheet that was supplied with the 1976 tax bill, that sanitary sewer costs had been removed from the tax bill. It was also noted in the Municipal Bulletin in November that these costs had been removed from the tax bill. The Region did advertise this fact, prior to the bills being mailed in November. I think it is obvious, however, that there is still a great deal of misunderstanding concern- ing the sewer charge. Prior to the formation of the Regional Government, the Town of Whitby had spent at least $4,000,000.00 in constructing a sanitary sewer system, not only to service the corridor area, but also to service the eastern half of the old Town of Whitby. This system was designed of surficient size to accommodate our eventual population in this area, and was constructed accordingly. At the time of establish- ment of Regional Government, we had a sewer system capable of servicing a much larger population than existed and, therefore, our costs on a per household basis were far higher than any 9ther municipality within the Region. In 1975, our sanitary sewer mill rate on the tax bill was 17 In My Opinion by Norm Mealing This past week, we received our final bill for water and sewers for 1976. The final bill totalled $130.13, which, if added to the two previous payments made in June and December of.last year, pushed our water and sewer bill to $184.66 for 1976. Included in this amount was a charge for sewers of S96.48, and a service charge of $24.23. Judging from what I have heard from sone of rny neighbours, we got off light. Final bills totalling $160 and S175 are not uncommon, and computing these over the full year would put water and sewer charges well into the S225 $250 range. When faced with this charge, one immediately asks vhy. One explanation is that our regional and municipal tax rate was reduced in 1976, and that we are just now squaring up the accounts. The overall reduction in property tax was, in my case, $39. The regional and municipal tax rate vas reduced by $112, but there was an increase of S73 in the education portions of my taxes. Granted that neither the region nor the municipality can do anything about education taxes, but it should be pointed out that the regional and municipal rate didn't go down $184 either. One assumes it should if we are just squaring up the accounts. It seems, my friends, that there is more in the water and sewer rates than meets the eye. There is, for example, the service charge of $24.23. One CHINESE FOOD TAVERN GOLDEN GATE RESTAURANT AND TAVERN CHINESE & CANADIAN FOOD 105-107 BROCK ST. S. WHITBY (JUST SOUTH 0F 4 CORNERS) Fully Licenced Under The L.1.5.0. S3TiST RAN DINEIN TAKE OUT ?AM GATEWAY TO CATERING si SNEcUSIEEDDING mills, and with an average assessment of $5,000.00, the average sewer cost was $85.00 per house. This sewer mill rate would have increased in 1976 to at least 20 mills, or $100.00 per house. In 1976, the Region established a sewer rate as an additional charge on the water bill. This meant the sewer costs were removed from the tax bill. However, the full benefit of the 17 mill reduction was not·readily apparent to the taxpayer because education costs in 1976 increased by approximately 12 mills, or an average of $60.00 per household. The decision to establish a Region sewer rate as a charge on the water bill.was not made until March 1976, and it can be appreciated that some time was required to establish the necessary accounting machinery to collect sanitary sewer costs for 1976. One of the confusing aspects of the sewer bill is that the sewer charge for last year is based on the water consumption for approximately the last half of the year. Therefore, to collect sanitary sewer charges for a full year, it has been necessary to alinost double the sewer rate that would apply in a normal year. This leaves the impression with the consumer that the first two sewer bills received are for a regular three-month period, while, in fact, the first two sewer bills received cover the full year's expense for sanitary sewer charges for 1976. The next water bill received will also include sanitary sewer charges for a three-month period, and will be based on a charge of $1.27 per 1,000 gallons, up to the first 10,000 gallons per month. This compares with the sewer charges for 1976 at $2.68 per 1,000 gallons, up to the first 10,000 gallons per month. From the above, it should be apparent that the can only assume that this is intended to cover the cost of preparing and mailing the bill inasmuch as we were required to read our own meter. And, then, there is the sewer charge of $96.48. This is supposedly the sewer charge which was fornially included in our taxes. Except that, as I understand it, the basis for the sewer charge is that every drop of water that you and I use goes into the sewers, and that is how the charge is calculated. Given this premise, the only way to save money is to use less water. Less water for cooking, less water for bathing. less water for washing, the list goes on and on. As I mentioned carlier, my total bill for 1976 was S184.66. Subtracting sewer and service charges, my water bill for 1976 was $64.95. I can't be absolutely certain,but I don't think that my water bills, plus service charges for 1975 equalled $65. The newv vsquaring of the accounts, therefore, seems to include some hidden, unexplained charges. All of t is, however, is but a further example of the runa\vav costsassociated with regional goverumen t. Consider, if vou will, the tax differences between I1973 and 1974. Without regional government, my taxes for 1973 were $832.04. Wi th regional government, my taxes increased to $989.60 in 1974, and only $20 of that $167.00 increase was attributable to education. For 1975, the municipal and regional portion of my taxes was $631.00 and that with the Whitby mill rate frozen. Even with the supposed decrease resulting from the change in vater and sewer rates, it cost me e519.68 to support regional and municipal governient, and that with the Whitby milI rate frozen for a second successive year. Recently, the issue of water rates was discussed at the Region with a group of councillors atteipting to have the water and sewer rates restored to the jurisdiction of the individual municipalities. In debating the issue, one councillor, whose name escapes me for the moment, argued that the region needed the water and sewer rates in Friday Nights 10, Discount On All Merchandise Except Sale Items BUTT RADIO & TV 118 Brock St., S. 668-3707 ( south of 4 corners) exp lained regular three-month bill will be considerably less than the two bills received covering last year. Because the Town of Whitby had the largest sewer debt, on a per capita basis, and that its debt is now spread over- the broader base of the Region, the Town of Whitby residents have been the greatest benefactors of this change in the handling of sanitary sewer costs. The difficulty, however, is that charging the sanitary sewer in relation to water consumption means that there is a wider range of sewer bills, because the water consumption of each family also varies considerably. A large sewer bill will occur for the following reasons: 1. Above normal water consumption 2. A leak in the system after the water has passed the meter 3. Incorrect reading of the water meter 4. A faulty water meter. I am advised by the Region that every meter they have checked has proved to be either accurate or readingslightly less than actual consumption. It usually happens that when the meter is faulty, it bears no relationship to actual water consumption. One of the confusing aspects of the bill received is that the number of days stated covering the time period, only applies to water, while the number of days on the sewer bill is approximately double. This of course will not be the situation when the next sewer bill is received. Hopefully, the above information will assist in creating some better understanding of the Regional sewer and water bill. oider to survive. 1l it reverted to the municipalities, he argued, it would mean the beginning of the end for the region. If that is the least bit true, then we really do have an unnecessary level of government here in Durham. Since its inception in 1974, the region has, by my calculations cost me about $150 a year in taxes, and I have yet to determine for what. I know that there is an ever increasing bureaucracy out there somewhere doing some- thing, yet when I look at those services which impact upon me the most, I realize that they are not remotely connected with the region. My transportation services are provincial, my recreation services are municipal, and my educational services provided by the school board. In my opinion, the water and sewer rate issue is one which should not go unchallenged. Each and every householder should be given an individualized explanation of their charges, both before and after regional rates. And, if, as I suspect, before is cheaper than after, the responsibil- ity should revert to the municipality. And, following that, public debate should begin with a view to having the region justify its continued existence. It is just to costly to do otherwise! 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