Dear Editor:
For those of you who have recently moved to the City of North Vancouver or who haven’t looked closely at your water and sewer utility statements, I would like to point out a trend.
In my case, I reviewed the last 15 years of statements for a small single family home. From 2000 to 2005 the price went up by 17 per cent. From 2005 to 2010, the charge went up 28 per cent.
From 2010 to 2015, the charge has increased by 53 per cent! Not to mention the 10 per cent discount was dropped to five per cent for early payment in 2014. So what cost $288 in 2000 now costs $665 in 2015.
I see no justification for these increases, nor any mention in the accompanying brochures. Needless to say these are way beyond the cost of living or the wage increases we see.
What is going on? Who are we subsidizing?
The developers?
Glenys Stuart
North Vancouver
Editor’s note: City of North Vancouver communications manager Connie Rabold responds: “The 2015 utility rates have been set at the lowest amount possible to deliver current services and provide sufficient funding for sustainable infrastructure management. The city works each year with a 10-year budget designed to balance the impact of utility operating cost increases to city taxpayers. A significant portion of the utility operating costs go to Metro Vancouver — the Greater Vancouver Water District and Sewerage and Drainage District. The GVRD water purchases represent about 75 per cent of the city’s utility operating costs and the GVS and DD sewer treatment charges represent about 80 per cent of the city’s operating costs. The city’s water and sewer rates remain competitive to other municipalities within the region. Revenue collected to pay for utility expenditures is used solely for the cost of utilities.”
Find out more at cnv.org/ubill.
