Apple Valley’s sewer rates are going up again (September 4, 2015)

You may have seen this notice come from the Town, letting you know that sewer rates are going up — again.

20150701-TOAV-sewer-increase

The Town of Apple Valley likes to claim that the main reason for taking over a private company in the form of Apple Valley Ranchos Water Company, is that they will stabilize rates. Some Town Government supporters claim that the Town won’t raise rates as fast, but based on past history, the Town can’t claim that either.

By 2018, the Town of Apple Valley will have raised rates 178% in just 10 years.

TOWN of APPLE VALLEY SEWER RATES (per EDU)
Effective Date Rate Council Resolution
2008/01/01 $16.00 Rate at 1st of Year
2008/04/01 $17.98 2008–12 (03/11/08)
2008/08/01 $19.96 2008–42 (07/22/08)
2009/09/01 $23.72 2009–40 (08/11/09)
2010/08/11 $24.46 2010–40 (08/10/10)
2011/10/01 $24.46 2011–44 (09/13/11)
2013/03/13 $28.19 2013–13 (03/12/13)
2014/06/11 $31.43 2014–18 (06/10/14)
2015/07/01 $35.04 2014–18 (06/10/14)
2016/07/01 $38.20 2014–18 (06/10/14)
2017/07/01 $41.64 2014–18 (06/10/14)
2018/07/01 $44.55 2014–18 (06/10/14)

Some Town Council members like to exclaim that it’s just a matter of dollars of increase a year, but that same carefree approach to spending will continue with a Council that does what their staff says to do, and not the other way around.

The Town Government also likes to point to Prop. 218, but even with hundreds of people registering their opposition to sewer rate increases — the Town hasn’t heeded this concern, and there has never been a public vote on sewer rate increases.

The Town Council is using Prop. 218 to cover their excuse for raising rates, even though they know that the threshold for stopping rates is incredibly high.

The Apple Valley Town Government likes to claim that they are the group that can protect against rate increases — and run a water system — but they are not that group. They have raised rates at a higher percentage than Apple Valley Ranchos Water has, and they excuse it by saying things like it’s just five dollars.

Here is a video of the Town Council raising rates in 2014, in a matter of less than a minute. Look at how easily and without any discussion they increase rates!

Sincerely,

Tamara Alaniz
Chair, Apple Valley Citizens for Government Accountability

Source: Via e-mail