Letter: Apple Valley rate increases abound (January 24, 2018)
Skeptical as I am about the Town of Apple Valley finances, one good decision I made was to opt out of the Apple Valley Choice Energy (AVCE) program and maintain my existing electrical utility and its manner of billing. As I feared, AVCE already has requested rate increases on Peak and off Peak kilowatt hours, and on Tier 1 and 2 rates.
The increases are set forth in a graph, not summarized. Heck, the agenda just says ‘new rates” and does not identify it as an increase. This comes on the heels of a sewer rate increase in progress and a trash rate increase, now being challenged in the courts in a suit filed Dec. 20, 2017, as case number: CIVDS 1725027 (cha-ching go the attorney fees …).
One of the town’s goals in Vision 2020 is to ‘secure new revenue sources.” It looks like ‘new revenue sources” means burdening the residents with higher fees, higher sewer rates, higher trash rates, and now higher energy rates. It goes without saying, if they are successful in the eminent domain, water rates are next.
It’s time for some new blood to revitalize the concept of service to the public, not service to the town treasury. The new town manager might help, but the need for new blood starts with the elected officials. Perhaps the incumbents need to step away for a few terms to gain perspective!
Diana J. Carloni, Apple Valley
Published: Daily Press