City Council members warned on Friday that a budget proposal going through the water quality committee is just a first step and any recommendations still need the council’s approval.
“That’s a starting point,” Councilman Manny Rico said. “It’ll have to go before the council to see if they agree with it or not.”
On Wednesday, the independent committee looking at the recent water quality, or stormwater, fee hike for the City Council discussed at length a proposal made by panel Chairman Bill Raines. The proposal included massive cuts, slashing the water quality budget from $21.5 million to $9 million.
But Mr. Raines, along with Lee Norris, deputy administrator for the city’s Public Works Department, have been working since Wednesday on a second proposal to give the committee.
Mr. Raines said his proposal has created “at least a starting point.” Right now, the proposal is going through a refinement process that should come before the full committee Thursday, he said.
He said he heard “loud and clear” that city leaders wanted a separate, independent fund for water quality, not subsidized by any other fund. He said a lot of work still needs to be done and a monthly rate being bandied about will change.
“It was $9.60 (a month), then it was $4 (a month) at one point,” he said. “Where it goes from there is up in the air.”
Council Chairman Jack Benson said Friday officials were “making some progress.” He said the final rate for taxpayers has not been set in stone and could rise to meet the needs for the city’s consent order that was handed down by state and federal regulators.
“The rate will be moving upward as our needs surface,” he said.
Mr. Norris said he has talked to Mr. Raines about funding needs and how some of the money is not guaranteed to come in. As a case in point, some federal and state agencies have not paid their water quality fees and it could take a court to determine if they ever will, he said.