OUR VIEW: North Tonawanda can’t raise water rates

Editorials

November 12, 2009

Anonymous The Tonawanda News Thu Nov 12, 2009, 12:23 AM EST

North Tonawanda city leaders began what was a predictable — and necessary — hand-wringing process at a council work session Tuesday. The topic, which will likely dominate headlines coming out of City Hall for the better part of the next several months, was the city budget.

We can’t help but think of the old saying, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

When Mayor Larry Soos offered his budget, it was predicated on several revenue if-come scenarios, including a yet-to-be-negotiated settlement with the New York Power Authority over the relicensing of its power plant in Niagara Falls. North Tonawanda, along with several other communities, feels the effects of the plant, but got next to nothing by way of compensation during the relicensing process.

It appears that months of negotiations will result in some form of a settlement, but how much and when remains unclear.

In the meantime, if nothing is done, city Accountant Dave Jakubaszek told the council that the water-sewer fund — the rates for which are astronomical already in NT — will be more than $400,000 in the hole.

Here’s the best-case scenario: The mayor’s revenue figures bear fruit, NYPA comes through with its low-cost power to run the wastewater treatment plant and city leaders find a way to plug the holes in the water-sewer budget for another year.

Here’s the worst-case scenario: The NYPA negotiations stall, leaving a hole in the operating budget and the city either has to raise the rates or cut spending in other areas to make up the difference.

Of course, this might have been avoidable had the council worked in good faith to enact a better spending plan, rather than letting the mayor’s version pass into law — and to set him up for an election year fall.

Let’s say this once: Raising the water rate is not an option. Residents here already pay far too much in their water bills and the council promised not to raise that rate when it voted to adopt the mayor’s budget, despite whatever misgivings they expressed at the time.

Alderman Dennis Pasiak had it exactly right on Tuesday when he said: “I think our credibility as a governing body is really at stake if we raise the water rate.”

That leaves the NYPA if-come, raiding the city’s savings account or drastic spending cuts at City Hall.

Hardly an ideal situation.

Text Only

Editorials

OUR VIEW: Time is up for SPCA board
This is no time for subtleties or polite requests.

February 7, 2012
OUR VIEW: Now who’s waging class warfare?
It was absurd for Republicans to cast President Obama’s call for a slightly higher income tax rate on the wealthiest Americans as class warfare.

February 3, 2012
OUR VIEW: SPCA off to good start
We were pleased to see members of the SPCA of Niagara’s board of directors take swift action and fire Executive Director John Faso on Monday.

February 1, 2012
Progress on marina, new funds, laudable
City leaders deserve praise — praise we’re pleased to deliver after years of criticism — for finally cementing a plan for redeveloping the city marina on River Road, a property that has sadly fallen into disrepair following to years of false-starts and faltering leadership.

January 27, 2012
OUR VIEW: In address, Obama focused on the practical
We were pleased to see President Obama mark a return to focusing the government on simple, achievable goals to help create jobs and bolster the nation’s economy.

January 26, 2012
OUR VIEW: Romney’s wealth shines spotlight on tax equity
Though it may not prove politically expedient for Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, his decision to release his 2010 and anticipated 2011 tax returns will have at least one benefit, even if it wasn’t intended:

January 24, 2012
OUR VIEW: Cuomo pension plan makes sense
Cuomo proposed adding a 401(k) tier to the state’s pension plan. We’ll forgive workers in the private sector where plans of this nature are the accepted norm if they wonder why this would even be controversial.

January 18, 2012
OUR VIEW: Cuomo's plans are praiseworthy
In the annual state of the state address, Gov. Andrew Cuomo was long on big promises that will be a boon to New York’s government, business and education infrastructure. But as every New Yorker — particularly ones in this neck of the woods — knows, talk is cheap.

January 7, 2012
OUR VIEW: Do something about the SPCA
Although the dust still has to settle around the horrific complaints by a former employee of the Niagara County SPCA and others, we were discouraged to learn that the animal shelter is still struggling with a lack of leadership.

January 5, 2012
OUR VIEW: Time Warner skating on thin ice
In a high stakes game of chicken between cable network MSG and the region’s largest cable TV provider Time Warner Cable, the only people losing right now are hockey fans the region over.

January 3, 2012
More Editorials Headlines

Editorials

Search Results

OUR VIEW: North Tonawanda can’t raise water rates

Site Map

Contact Us