“But here’s the rub: There was no explanation, no justification, and no reasoning”
An OPINION by Patty MacEwan, Fillmore NY
Transparency and accountability are a reasonable request from our elected officials whether they be Federal, State, City/County, or City/Town. We the voters, their constituents, are the ones to do that. How? By asking questions, by going to meetings, by writing letters, by getting involved. Recently the Town Council in Hume NY gave us a great example as to why this is important.
Imagine Town of Hume community members shock when they received notice of an approximately 300% increase in the municipal water and sewer rates. With increased costs to groceries, healthcare insurance, medicine, and other expenses, no one was expecting this large of an increase from the Town. Can the Town’s many seniors, likely on a fixed income, even afford this? Couple that with the data that the rates don’t seem aligned with what other small Allegany County communities charge leads to questions. Maybe there is justification for the increase, maybe the town has been undercharging, maybe the Town had the rates they pay increased, has the Town investigated other cheaper alternatives to getting their water, or are they just staying with the status quo? But here’s the rub, there was no explanation, no justification, and no reasoning beyond the increase notice, so who knows!
In researching this information, I found that the Town of Hume Council passed a bond resolution on August 13 to finance water and sewer capital improvements, which includes a project for the Wiscoy-Rossburg service area expansion. These improvements are projected at over $7 million. Is that why the payment on debt also went up? How much money comes through State or Federal grants and how much from debt? Again, who knows! The previous expansion to Dugway was largely financed by the Biden Infrastructure Act, was there bond debt there as well?
People like to say, “I don’t do politics.” This isn’t politics – that would be if you run for office. This is civic engagement, it’s a constituent, a voter asking why, asking things to be explained, or voicing a negative or positive opinion and our politicians should expect that from us.
The next Town of Hume Council meeting is at the Fillmore Firehall on January 14 at 7 pm.
Related information from the Town of Hume:
