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Skyrocketing water bills cause controversy in Palo

Skyrocketing water bills cause controversy in Palo
8 NEWS AT SIX OH $692 UTILITY BILL IS HALF OF MY SOCIAL SECURITY CHECK BY BUILD SAID THAT I CAN ASSUME 12,800 GALLONS THIS LAST MONTH. THE MAYOR OF AN EASTERN IOWA TOWN IS APOLOGIZING TONIGHT FOR A CHANGE THAT HAS SENT WATER BILLS IN HIS CITY. SKY ROCKETED. PEOPLE IN PALO WERE TOLD THEIR WATER RATES WERE GOING UP THIS SUMMER. THEY WERE, BUT THEY DID NOT EXPECT THEM TO BE CHARGED UP TO 400%, MORE THAN WHAT THEY WERE PAYING BEFORE. DOZENS OF PEOPLE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE CHANGE AT LAST NIGHT’S CITY COUNCIL MEETING. ONE WOMAN SAYS HER BILL WENT FROM $170 TO $540. THE CITY SAYS IT HAD TO RAISE RATES BECAUSE ITS SEWER AND WATER SYSTEMS WERE OPERATING AT A DEFICIT. THE REASONS THAT WE LOOKED AT THESE RATES IS BECAUSE OUR TOWNS SYSTEM IS SCREWED UP. THE BILLS ARE NOT BEING CODED CORRECTLY BY PRIOR STAFF, AND SO THERE WAS NO WAY TO TELL WHERE MONEY WAS GOING. THE CITY COUNCIL SAYS IT WILL VOTE ON RETURNING TH
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Skyrocketing water bills cause controversy in Palo
Palo city council members said Monday night they would officially vote on canceling the ordinances that put higher water rates in place at their next meeting, KCRG reports.They added that people in Palo will likely be able to pay their water bills at the old rates, at least for the next few months.Monday night’s meeting began with an address from the mayor, which included an apology.“This was not our intention, to hit families with bills hundreds of dollars more than they are used to,” said Mayor Eric Van Kerckhove. “Our delivery and communication, although done correctly by code, along with extras including Facebook and special meetings, should have been better.”The mayor apologized, but people still wanted to share why they were outraged. One woman went up to the microphone to share that her bill was $692, half of her Social Security check.Higher costs weren’t the only issues. Along with the new costs, people said their bills showed they were using water at a rate they simply didn’t believe. “My bill said I consumed 12,800 gallons this last month," said one woman.The mayor also said in his opening address that the new rates were because the sewer and water systems were running at a deficit.“The reasons that we looked at these rates is because our accounting system was screwed up,” the mayor said. “We were handed this mess to clean up, and bills were not being coded correctly by prior staff, and there was no way to tell where money was going and for what.”The next city council meeting is August 15.

Palo city council members said Monday night they would officially vote on canceling the ordinances that put higher water rates in place at their next meeting, KCRG reports.

They added that people in Palo will likely be able to pay their water bills at the old rates, at least for the next few months.

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Monday night’s meeting began with an address from the mayor, which included an apology.

“This was not our intention, to hit families with bills hundreds of dollars more than they are used to,” said Mayor Eric Van Kerckhove. “Our delivery and communication, although done correctly by code, along with extras including Facebook and special meetings, should have been better.”

The mayor apologized, but people still wanted to share why they were outraged. One woman went up to the microphone to share that her bill was $692, half of her Social Security check.

Higher costs weren’t the only issues. Along with the new costs, people said their bills showed they were using water at a rate they simply didn’t believe.

“My bill said I consumed 12,800 gallons this last month," said one woman.

The mayor also said in his opening address that the new rates were because the sewer and water systems were running at a deficit.

“The reasons that we looked at these rates is because our accounting system was screwed up,” the mayor said. “We were handed this mess to clean up, and bills were not being coded correctly by prior staff, and there was no way to tell where money was going and for what.”

The next city council meeting is August 15.