You might have noticed Charlotte's City County government loves to spend your money.
Current projects include expanding the Airport with a billion dollar project, building a baseball park uptown, projects to modernize and expand our water and sewer system and spend another million in new gadgets for our police department. Trolley lines and light rail and spruce up the Chicken Box on Independence Boulevard.
To pay for all this and more Charlotte's City Manager wants to raise your property taxes by 10%.
And now comes news that our Charlotte Mecklenburg Utility Department (CMUD) wants to raise your water rates again, this time by 6%. Yes that is correct again as in the 5th year is a row. Which just for laughs makes for a total of nearly 63% over a period during which the inflation increased by total of less than 10%.
In other words, if your water bill was $20.00 in 2007 it, adjusted for inflation should have increased to no more than $21.96 this year. So why is your bill nearly double? Well that would be CMUD smoke and mirrors complex rate scheme.
Cedar's take: Underlying all of this government waste is a real perplexing problem, and that is that Charlotte Area and the Catawaba River Basin which has spawned its growth has reached the point of maximum utilization. Sure it is fine if the rain keeps falling, but even the slightest drought will have dramatic consequences. The city and the region can not continue the growth.
Regardless of the money spent, and the rate increases, mother nature is about to say enough is enough.
More on CMUD's rate increase from Pundit House here and the Charlotte Observer here.
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