Resolution calling upon the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, legislation establishing a fixed water rate for people living on a fixed income.

Res. No. 449

Resolution calling upon the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, legislation establishing a fixed water rate for people living on a fixed income.

By Council Members Espinal, Constantinides, Cumbo, Gibson, King, Koo and Rodriguez

Whereas, The New York City Water Board (“Water Board”) was created by the New York State Public Authorities Law and charged in Section 1045-g(4) to “establish, fix, revise, charge and collect and enforce the payment of all fees, rates, rents and other service charges for the use of, or services furnished by the sewerage system, water system, or both, as the case may be…”; and

Whereas, Pursuant to that authority, the Water Board votes annually to adopt the in-City rates for water use; and

Whereas, Every year since 1996, the Water Board has voted to increase the water rate, including in some years to raise it more than ten percent over the previous year’s rate; and

Whereas, In most of those years, the increase in the water rate has exceeded the increase in the national inflation rate; and

Whereas, Most recently, for Fiscal Year 2015, the Water Board voted on May 23, 2014 to increase the water rate by 3.35% over the rates charged for Fiscal Year 2014; and

Whereas, The rate for metered water in Fiscal Year 2015 was set at $3.70 per one hundred cubic feet with a minimum water service charge of $0.49 per day per water meter; and

Whereas, Since the sewer rate is calculated as a percentage of the water rate, when the water rate rises, the sewer rate rises, as well, causing a water user’s bill to rise even higher; and

Whereas, According to the City’s Department of Environmental Protection, in Fiscal Year 2015, a typical single-family homeowner will see an increase from $991 per year to $1,024 per year for water and sewer bills and a typical multi-family unit will see an increase from $644 per year per unit to $666 per year per unit; and

Whereas, Many New York City residents are faced with rising costs that are out of their control which are becoming increasingly difficult to afford and many of those residents are living on a fixed income; and

Whereas, The fixed incomes of those residents by definition do not rise annually to keep pace with the rising water rates thereby compounding their struggles to afford basic living expenses each year; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, legislation establishing a fixed water rate for people living on a fixed income.

RC 09-12-2014

LS#1778