MDC Agrees to Slash Non-Member Towns' Rates

The Metropolitan District Commission has re-examined its proposed 2014 water rates for non-member towns, agreeing to reduce a surcharge by more than half.

According to a press release, the MDC will reduce the surcharge from $105.75 per quarter to $49.74 per quarter in 2014, representing a 53 percent decrease from 2013 rates.

The decrease would mean, however, that the surcharge would last 25 years - or 20 years longer than originally anticipated with the $105.75 rate.

"Unfortunately, as with other utilities, fixed costs continue to escalate, and there were no other budget line items to reduce to any meaningful degree," according to an MDC press release.

The rate change came after a Nov. 13 public hearing at which dozens of residents of non-member towns expressed their outrage at the increases on their bills, which in some instances was more than 250 percent from a year and a half ago.

“The message from our many valued non-member town customers was constructive, thoughtful and helpful,” the release states. “The public spoke, and we listened.”

Several public officials from non-member towns, when reached by telephone Monday, applauded the rate reduction, though they said more work needed to be done.

“The rates were extremely high last year, and it affected a lot of folks; it was a tremendous shock,” said East Granby First Selectman Jim Hayden, whose town has 460 homes and businesses that are MDC customers. “I’m very pleased that MDC is looking at this.”

Dr. Saud Anwar, the mayor of South Windsor, said that he, too, was pleased that MDC is revisiting its rate structure for non-member towns.

“A lot of people in the community were upset; this is a step in the right direction,” Anwar said.

Still, both Anwar and Hayden said that the MDC also needs to have a non-member-town representative on the committee that sets rates.

“I fully support that,” Hayden said. “I’ve said all along that non-member towns need representation, even if it’s just on an advisory basis to the MDC. I’ve expressed that to our legislators. We need to have accountability and access to information.”

Anwar agreed.

“We need a mechanism to have someone on the board of the MDC when decisions are made about rates concerning non-member towns,” he said. “We appreciate the improvement, but it is not all the way. We are looking forward to having representation in the group and the committee that sets the rates.”

Hayen also cautioned that he had not had the opportunity to fully review the MDC’s proposed rates for 2014, and further review was necessary.