Submitted by Jim Huntington:
The current Coupland Water Supply Corp (CWSC) board has seen our financial reserve completely used up due to unexpected expenses, either from Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) mandates or from unpreventable maintenance and repair issues. Our actions as a board have been based on what we deemed to be the most responsible thing to do, to maintain the system and these actions have been unanimous.
To successfully operate, we need a certain amount of money coming in every month or we will be in deficit. While all of us on the current board would like nothing better than to have lower rates, it is our analysis and unanimous opinion that lowering rates at this time would definitely not be prudent but actually would be counterproductive, which would force higher rates in the long run because we would have to borrow money to operate and pay interest on that money, instead of compiling a reserve on which we draw interest.
In 2012, the current CWSC board voted unanimously to increase rates by increasing the rate per 1000 gallons of water usage to $7.00. In the past, when we had to increase revenue, we raised the flat rate which was the same amount levied on everyone. This time when rate increase was necessary, we decided to raise rates on usage, so that the more you use, the more you pay, thereby protecting modest users from subsidizing greater users.
The current board also voted unanimously to set the Capacity Reservation fee at $5000, which is much lower than other nearby municipalities and much lower than the cost of a septic system. That money is set aside for improvements and eventually, at some point in the future, to plan for an expansion to the processing plant as we move close to the capacity of what the present plant can handle.
The current board CWSC has worked well and harmoniously for several years, reaching unanimous consensus on all issues which have confronted us. Our primary focus has been on what is good for the total CWSC system putting aside any personal agendas.
Voting is open until Nov. 30th. If you lost or misplaced ballot, you can get a replacement from either Karen Marosko or Jim Huntington.
