BED seeks 23% rate increase
This morning in the Burlington Free Press, the public was informed that Burlington Electric Department is seeking a 22.82% rate increase. The City Council will consider their case tonight at 7:00 PM. You can read the explanation for the increase in the Free Press story.
This comes as no surprise to me. I have known this for weeks, if not months. I was told by a political insider that BED would seek a rate increase of up to 25% after the election.
I do not know who else knew this, but I am certain that Mayor Peter Clavelle knew this. There is no way that political insiders could know and not the mayor. And it is no coincidence that they waited until after the election.
We were asked to approve a school budget that would lead to a 10-cent (per$100) tax increase. We were asked to approve a 1% sales tax. We were asked to approve a bond to fix a sewer pipe (future increased wastewater fees??). We were asked to approve all of this extra spending; meanwhile our elected officials knew we would face a 23% increase in our electric rate.
Shouldn’t we have all of the facts about the city’s financial health before we are asked to vote on tax increases? Isn’t it about time that our elected officials were accountable to us?
I think it is long past time that we demand transparency in the city government. If they are going to continue to tax (and fee) people out of their homes, we should have a say in it. It’s our government. It’s our money. It’s our right.
(How’s that for a Monday morning conservative rant?)
5 comments:
Yeah, I agree Charity...
As some readers may know, my husband Jeremy and I try our best to attend the Board of Finance and City Council meetings as much as we can; we've been attending them since we started to become active in politics (Nov. 2004).
About this time last year, the Board of Finance was approached by BED to pursue a rate increase, which was voted down unanimously by the Board of Finance, their reasoning was they could put it off for another year.
So, now here we are, with this 23% rate increase... a major result of the large amount being the Board of Finance not allowing the BED to increase their rates last year. Anyone surprised?
23% is steep - especially considering that my slummy student apartment has electric heaters (which I refuse to use because it costs over 115$ for one month of warm winter comfort). My apartment was so cold one year(52 F.) that my parakeet died. Where is the propane fairy when you need her?
OK, this is a momentous occasion, but this prog poster agrees with Cherity.
I should offer a disclaimer: I'm not sure who is to blame or even if hunting down that info would be helpful. Would be good in order to assess accountability (kinda why I think Bush needs an impeachment slap, but that's for another day).
Bringing this huge rate increase now is pretty cold-blooded. It's the same kinda move that the school board did last year when they asked for approval for the track and new fields only to then propose this year a closure of Barnes and Wheeler (per original Lyman proposal). We're all left scrambling to get the note off our backs that says 'kick me'.
If there is any good news, it's that Burlington's electric rates are currently among the lowest in New England (perhaps nationally too?). So a 25% increase still makes us very competitive with surrounding communities.
Vermont Gas is raising their rates soon too, right? I'm out of town so only hear rumors....
Kevin Curley warned about the BED rate increase during the last debate. Giving it as one of the reasons that we shouldn't pass the local option tax.
Your blog is Kicking ass Charity! Besides VDB, it's one of the few locals I can count on for freshness. I don't have time to post every day anymore. The election burned me out a bit... Thanks for carrying the ball.
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