Directors at the Joshua Basin Water District last night dispatched a number of items and approved a budget but not without dissent. Reporter Mike Lipsitz fills us in…
Directors reauthorized water availability (or standby) rates for fiscal 2018/19. Those rates, which remain unchanged for the twenty-second consecutive year, are paid by every property owner in the district regardless of whether they receive water service. The standby fees generate 17% of the district’s annual revenue. Turning to the district’s Hazard Mitigation Plan, now in final draft form, it received approval from the board for review by the state Office of Emergency Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Once complete, the plan makes the district eligible to receive state and federal aid in the event of a disaster. And finally, last night the board approved a budget for fiscal 2018/2019 in a four to one vote with board vice president and finance committee chair, Bob Johnson opposed preferring to see the district hold spending until more time has passed to see the affect recent rate increases have on the bottom line before committing a lot of resources to capital improvements.
JOSHUA BASIN PASSES BUDGET, WITH SOME DISSENT
