However, for at least the last five years, the Wastewater Enterprise Fund has operated at a significant deficit.  No analysis of the fee structure has been done to date to correct the EDU counts and the fee structure.  A quick look at the EDU list demonstrates many inconsistencies in the rates paid.

• Should a 400 sq ft 1 bedroom cottage pay the same wastewater fee as a 6000 sq ft 5-bedroom vacation rental?  

• Should businesses be able to expand significantly, change uses, and not have their wastewater costs reviewed and adjusted?  

Instead of adjusting wastewater fees and assuring the users are paying based on the volume of wastewater generated, property taxes have been used to bail out the wastewater fund shortfalls.  

Typically there has been approximately a $2 million deficit every year - necessitating increases in property taxes. Not supposed to happen with a self-supporting enterprise fund.  

This year over $4 million of Stewardship Funding has been moved to wastewater to avoid another huge deficit, and the budget still shows a projected wastewater deficit of $775,000. Until now Stewardship Funding has been allocated for canal restoration projects already planned and underway. And wastewater is supposed to be self-supporting?  

Of course we need a wastewater system that is reliable.  Let’s fix the leaks.  And let’s fix the funding, rates and accounting as well.