To City Councilmembers:

We are outraged to see another 10 percent increase in our water/sewer/storm drain statement for the January/February 2011 period. Who amongst us is experiencing that kind of increase in our personal revenues?

Why is Mike Cero the only member of the Council practicing prudent budgeting measures, just as we citizens have to do at home? It must be really cushy using other peoples’ money (OPM) to increase city revenues at your whim, rather than doing the hard work of cutting costs and introducing more efficient methods.

To the extent each of you fails us in the near future as you have with this rate increase, you will certainly not get our votes for reelection — and you can ‘take that to the bank.’

Clearly, the only control we residents have over these utility costs is to curtail our water usage. So, we reduced ours from the winter average of 10 (100 cu. ft.) in the August-October period to 9 for the October-December period (obviously, a 10 percent reduction), and received a corresponding reduction in our charge for that item of 10 percent ($2). However, for the currently charged period, we reduced our water usage from 9 to 8, another 11 percent, yet received a reduced charge of only 3.5 percent (64 cents)! Well, congratulations: you have succeeded in disincentivizing us from being responsible stewards of our scarce natural resources. Great job! Well done! Yet another bureaucratic coup.

Get with the program, or go do something else: you are not helping us whom you promised to help when you ran for election.

Lee Trousdale