by Trish Rudder
The Bath Town Council at the August 6 meeting approved a proposal to institute a 20% water rate tariff. It was readopted at the request of William Rohrbaugh, the attorney who will submit the tariff to the state Public Services Commission (PSC) on behalf of the Town of Bath.
The PSC must approve the new rate in order for it to go into effect.
No changes were made to the water rate increase proposal, said Councilman Dave O’Connell, who chairs the water committee.
While discussing the tariff and before the council voted, Councilman Greg Schene, the Ordinance committee chair, read a timeline of events regarding the water tariff rates, including the public meeting dates that were held, public notices printed in The Morgan Messenger, as well as news coverage reported in The Messenger.
The town website has available all the ordinances to read or download, and the water department notified its customers by mail on their bills.
The rate notification was also posted in the Town of Bath lobby, where some customers come to pay their water bill.
Mayor Scott Merki then opened the discussion to the public.
Water department customer Lance Strait said the town should have done a better job of informing its customers of the water rate increase. He said he does not read the paper.
“Print media is dead,” he said. Strait said he did not read the water bill where it a rate increase was indicated, either.
Schene said the new rate is about a $6 increase for the lowest amount of water usage. For 2000 gallons equivalent, the rate is $38.72, up $6.44 from $32.28.
Schene said the proposed rates are in the “middle of West Virginia water rates.”
Water customer Rich Ellis spoke against the 20% increase. He said he did not know there are separate bills for the water and the sewer.
He said it’s hard to take a bill that was $125 to $142.
Ellis said he has six people in his household and Councilwoman Rebecca MacLeod suggested water conservation could be useful for that high a bill. He might have a water leak for all the water that’s being used and should contact BSWW superintendent Rick Mayhew to take a look at his situation, said MacLeod.
Mayor Merki reiterated that the PSC has to bless the ordinance, and it was suggested that since the PSC has to approve the rates, the council may want to rewrite it at a lower rate.
Merki said this council and the prior council has done everything to keep costs down.
He said all costs have gone up since the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The whole world changed when COVID came,” he said.
Councilwoman Mary Lynn Hickey said, “revenues must meet expenses.” She said it has been 14 years since the town has a water rate increase.
“[W]e are aware of what this means to our customers,” said Hickey.
She said town officials have to have fiduciary responsibility.
