Editor’s note: The city position that includes city clerk responsibility also includes duties as director of general services and human resources.
To the editor:
I am happy to see our city manager cleared up the issue of the million-dollar transfer of ratepayers’ water and sewer money to the general fund. It is nice to know that the million dollars did not go into the “black hole” city government but was used to “buy” administrative support services from the folks who work in City Hall, like our city clerk, who makes $92,775 a year plus $42,222 in benefits for a grand total of $134,997. I feel much better now.
However, the city manager’s rebuttal to my letter made me think, something you don’t want an old retired plumber to do. First, I thought how much is the administrative overhead for sewer and water? Second, do other cities’ sewer and water departments purchase $1 million worth of services from their City Hall? Here is what I found.
First, it looks to me that our water and sewer overhead expense is about 24 percent. We spend about $3.2 million on the folks who actually do the hard, and I might add quality, work maintaining our water and sewer system and “buy” almost a million dollars of administrative support services from City Hall.
Second, none of the water/sewer departments of major cities in eastern Oregon appear to purchase anywhere near $1 million of services from their City Halls. Some appear to buy no services, while one buys about $350,000 worth of services, or $650,000 less than we do.
As I see it, here are our options for making our water and sewer more affordable.
We ratepayers must take action, if we want to rein in utility and other rates/taxes and hold City Hall accountable.
Commented