Shaver Springs residents facing a 300% water and sewer rate increase

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A tiny assemblage successful the Fresno County foothills is facing a 300 percent summation successful its h2o and sewer rates.

Shaver Springs adjacent Auberry has not seen an summation successful 18 years, but the county-managed h2o territory says it needs to rise the rates to marque ends meet.

The mean h2o complaint close present is astir $49 a month. That volition spell up to $85 a month. The sewer complaint is conscionable $25 now, but it volition spell up to $110 a month.

The region says the increases are indispensable to support up with operating costs - the radical who unrecorded present accidental they conscionable can't spend it.

"Adding these things up, it conscionable starts to go - which straw is going to interruption the camel's back?" Shaver Springs nonmigratory Michael Davidson said.

In a pugnacious economy, Davidson says helium and his neighbors consciousness the projected h2o and sewer complaint hikes mightiness interruption the bank.

They're doing each they tin to prevention h2o and, successful turn, prevention money.

"Now it's like, okay, you're putting connected the h2o saver ablution heads, you're making definite immoderate small spot of enactment that's ever been enactment successful you've capped it disconnected and marque definite there's nary leaks oregon hazard of leaks," Davidson said.

2007 was the past clip h2o and sewer rates were accrued successful Shaver Springs.

A batch has changed since past and the territory has gone done each of its reserve funds.

"Over the past 5 years, during COVID, we've seen costs spell done the roof. Costs for chemicals, chlorine, costs for electricity," Fresno County supervisor Nathan Magsig said.

The community, tucked successful the hills disconnected Highway 168, is successful Nathan Magsig's district.
He says helium understands the complaint hike is pugnacious for residents successful Shaver Springs - and that the region volition bash what it tin to help.

"We are prepared, aft these caller rates are adopted, to scope backmost retired to the authorities to inquire for further subsidy and further financing from the authorities to assistance bargain down these rates a small bit," Magsig said.

The vicinity is organizing and encouraging everyone to talk up.

"Residents person to o.k. these rates; if they take to not o.k. the rates, the region volition person to usage immoderate bonzer measures because, again, the territory is already successful the hole," Magsig said.

If residents don't o.k. the rates, the authorities would apt prehend power of the territory and unit done a complaint increase, perchance adjacent higher than what's presently proposed.

Davidson says helium and his neighbors consciousness stuck and are reaching retired to lawyers for help.

"They consciousness trapped, connected 1 hand, we're not definite we tin spend the increase, and connected the different hand, we don't consciousness similar we tin permission due to the fact that who's going to privation to bargain a location erstwhile the h2o measure is six, seven, 8 100 dollars each mates of months?" helium said.

The assemblage gathering volition beryllium held astatine Pine Ridge Elementary School connected Tuesday astatine 5:30 p.m. arsenic residents anticipation to sermon different options.

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