Citizens and leaders generally try to avoid large increases in taxes, costs and fees. What changes did the City not anticipate in order to avoid this large and unexpected increase?
The previous rate structure, with larger emphasis on higher levels of usage for revenues, provided for a higher degree of volatility. Over a period of time, the higher revenue years generally provided sufficient reserves to offset lower revenue years. Following years of increased sales in 2011 and 2012, a lower-sales year was reasonably expected. However, as this trend continued, there was a reluctance to increase rates, with previous history providing expectation that the next year would surely revert back to previous usage patterns. There is now a realization that usage patterns have indeed changed, thus prompting the need to adjust accordingly.

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1. Why has maintenance costs increased?
2. Have maintenance costs increased only in the past year, or over the past ten years when rates were unchanged?
3. What conditions existed that made it possible to keep rates unchanged for ten years?
4. Are financial records available for public review showing projected maintenance costs, loss of revenue from decreased demand, and projected increase in revenue to be used to offset maintenance costs?
5. Citizens and leaders generally try to avoid large increases in taxes, costs and fees. What changes did the City not anticipate in order to avoid this large and unexpected increase?
6. What corrections will the City Council implement to ensure that future unexpected and large increases will not occur?
7. Has any long term planning been done on projected water costs and usage for the next five years?
8. What has the City done to be more efficient? Could cost savings come from reducing staff and expenses?