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Editor,

Please — Don’t Hike Our Water Bills Again!

In response to citizen feedback and Alder Kilian’s recent letter on the unacceptable and unnecessary water bill increase,  I’m asking city council to consider the poor ratepayer and take action now. Our water bills are out of hand! 

There are simple steps council should take now to thwart additional pending rate increases, and more importantly, we need to tell residents that — WE HEAR YOU!.

First, acknowledge that suing our local companies isn’t a smart or sustainable way to raise money; any pending PFAS litigation settlement money should go toward reducing your water bills — and lower utility debt. Shockingly, the mayor has expressed her desire to not earmark this money for rate offsets, rather she wants any settlement money put in a “segregated account” (aka a slush fund) to be used by her later.

Second, let’s commit to eliminating the hidden tax scheme known as the PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes). Under this slight of hand, the city charges our own Utility Department a property tax. The utility then has to charge you, the ratepayer, higher water bills (roughly 18% more as estimated during the last budget hearing) so that it can pay this tax on itself. Crazy, right? The money then “travels” to the General Fund where the mayor can spend it on her pet projects, much of them unnecessary. Yes, you read that right, your water bill doesn’t just pay for water. Ratepayers should be outraged!

Lastly, as Chair of the Wausau Water Commission, Mayor Rosenberg presided over this 65% rate increases with limited transparency. She holds primary control over discussion and the agenda. Does she ever consider the impact on our utility debt service, the impact on our credit rating, the devastation inflicted on our water users?

Let’s put a stop to future rate increases. Oh yes, Mayor Rosenberg is looking for more! She warned that even more rate hikes were coming. We did hear her back pedal recently and say she would rather “set herself on fire” before increasing rates, but we know what politicians mean when they say “no new taxes.”  People are angry now, and we can’t delay citizen relief while waiting for lawsuit money to solve our city’s finance problems.

This “Holy Ball” was in the Mayor’s court, but if she wont lead the city council must.

Doug Diny, Wausau

Doug Diny represents Dist. 4 on the Wausau City Council and is one of three candidates for mayor in the spring 2024 election. Incumbent Katie Rosenberg and challenger Christopher Wood are also in the race.