Friday, May 8, 2009

Impact Fees or a Higher Water Bill?

It costs the ratepayers of El Paso over $2,000 in water and wastewater infrastructure for every new home that is built in El Paso. That means you and I are subsidizing the developers, to the tune of $2,000 per lot, as they continue to build their subdivisions at the far edges of the city. We do this through our water rates. For example, 35% of the increase in water rates last year was attributable to new infrastructure to support new development.

City Council has an opportunity on Tuesday to make the developers pay for these costs instead of the ratepayer.

If you want to help keep water rates low, if you want more responsible development and if you want new growth to pay for itself, please come to City Hall this Tuesday (5/12) at 6pm and support the imposition of impact fees.


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