Hoffman Estates approves water rate increases
The Hoffman Estates finance committee approved amending the village's existing water rate schedule Monday to reflect scheduled water rate increases by the city of Chicago in 2012-14 but not without agreeing to put up a fight.
“I just can't believe that the city of Chicago can hold us hostage like this and do that,” Trustee Raymond Kincaid said. “I would certainly hope that we will fight this.”
Currently, the village's water and sewer rates are adjusted annually on Dec. 1. This past December the water rate increased 32 cents and the sewer rate went up 3 cents, making the total combined rate $6 for every 1,000 gallons used. The new increase – which village manager Jim Norris said the committee had no choice but to approve Monday – will go into effect March 1, with the combined rate rising to $6.81. The extra 81 cents goes only to the water rate.
The increase is a result of the city of Chicago approving, as part of their 2012 budget, a 25 percent increase in water rates for 2012.
The city also approved a 15 percent increase annually in water rates for the next three years, from 2012 to 2015.
That means Hoffman Estates will face another water rate increase later this year, on Dec. 1. The combined rate will then come to $7.76, with only 3 cents going toward the sewer rate.
By Dec. 1, 2013 the combined rate will be $8.53.
“There's a couple of things that concern me with what Chicago is doing,” Mayor William McLeod said. “They still give not-for-profits, churches, schools free water, so they're subsidizing that on our backs.”
Norris said looking ahead, some of the only options available to make rates more reasonable will be to either get water from Evanston or negotiate rate stability with Chicago.
“In terms of (Chicago's) overall system, we are extremely small, but we're their third largest extra jurisdictional customer. So we're hoping that (with) political pressure … that we can get the city of Chicago to recognize there are options,” he said, referring to Hoffman Estates and other municipalities finding alternatives to using Chicago for their water.
Norris said he has already met with Evanston officials and will continue to discuss options with them, but that any change is far off.
“We probably will be with the city of Chicago through these rates and even further,” he said.
Chairman Gary Pilafas asked if getting water from Kane County was an option, but Norris said it would be costly and result in residents getting river water.
Trustee Karen Mills noted how much the quality of water improved when the village switched to Lake Michigan water and said it would be hard for residents to adjust to a new source.
“How we could ever go back to well water is beyond me,” she said, agreeing that other options won't be an “overnight fix.”
McLeod found optimism during the discussion though.
“You have to remember how lucky we are that we have a safe, secure supply of drinking water, which is not the case in most of the state and for many, many parts of the country,” he said. “As bad as this is, at least we have safe drinking water.”