The State Revolving Fund, which is loaning the Hi-Desert Water District $145 million for the Yucca Valley sewer project, is requiring the water district to determine how it will bill its customers before the Fund will release the loan to the water district. Managing editor Tami Roleff says the board discussed last night whether the sewer charge should be on customers’ monthly water bills, or on their annual property tax bills…
With no public comment and no dissension among the board members, the Hi-Desert Water District voted unanimously (4-0, with Director Dan Munsey absent) last night that the future sewer service charge will be placed on customers’ property tax bills, instead of on their monthly water bills. The annual sewer service charges will not appear on property tax bill for three years, though. Director Sarann Graham thought billing via the property tax bills would help seniors and low-income. “The majority of them felt it was the best for them for their budgeting.” Director Sheldon Hough said it was the most fair way to bill the service charges, and likened the sewer charges to water bills. “When people don’t pay their water bill, everybody else in town has to pay their water bill and it’s not fair.” President Bob Stadum said putting the sewer service charges on property tax bills would keep the sewer rates lower. “In the long run, it’s less expensive to put it on property tax. If we don’t put it on the property taxes, the charge will be slightly higher because we’ll have bad debt expense and the additional staff time to do it on a monthly basis has a cost associated with it.”
YUCCA VALLEY SEWER CHARGES WILL BE ON PROPERTY TAX BILLS
