Wilder is defending his stormwater utility proposal. As an environmentalist, I am not against the idea of a stormwater utility, but there is a lot more to this than meets the eye.

As Oregon Hill residents have stated, the pools of water are still pooling, and thankfully at least one mayoral candidate has taken notice…

Goldman for Mayor – 1 May 2008 – For Immediate Release – Contact: 804-833-6313

Basic residential water rates championed by City Hall, City Council are”way too high”

Goldman says many customers paying between them “many millions more than they should”.

Says full review of these “water tax” formulations must be done far sooner than City Hall plans.

(Richmond) -

Paul Goldman, candidate for Mayor, says many Richmond city residents are “unfairly burdened” with basic residential water rates that are “way too high” based not just on an analysis of such surrounding areas as Henrico County, but based also on what City Hall is now conceding.

“As the Mayor himself has conceded, a city “fee” is really often just another name for a city “tax”, and in that regard, it is time for City Hall and City Council to fully accept their responsibility for what is really just another name for Richmond’s sky-high “water tax” on so many resident families” said Mr. Goldman.

In a statement, Mr. Goldman continued:

” Concerned community and environmental leaders have long pointed out, for example, the disparity between Henrico and Richmond in terms of the onerous burden of the city’s “water tax” relative to Henrico County in terms of key residential rates charged many residents. Their efforts and foresight are to be complimented. Unfortunately, City Hall and especially City Council are still resisting the urgency of their message as regards this “water tax” burden and why it needs to be fixed as soon as possible to remove the multiple-million dollar burden.

In that regard, let me point out that according to a City Hall press release, Richmond’s “public utilities director, Chris Beschler….said he plans to conduct utility rate reviews every two to four years…to preclude future instances” of unfair burdens.

In the first place, the current water “tax” proposal by City Hall, by it’s own admission, doesn’t completely do away with existing unfair burdens. Secondly, this latest proposal by City Hall, while at least a rejection of the old failed policies put in place by the old form of government, is really too little, too late by the very logic of the new proposals it has sent to City Council. That being said, at least City Hall seems to be ahead of City Council on appreciating the need to change especially as City Hall and City Council are getting ready to impose a new Stormwater fee, or “tax”, on residents, not to mention record real estate taxes and government spending.

Accordingly, by City Hall’s own admission, waiting perhaps as long as 4 years to review and correct unfair burdens means it might continue to collect all these many millions of unfair “water taxes” right through the term of the next Mayor.

This is unacceptable to me and to the people of Richmond.

Accordingly, if elected Mayor, I can guarantee residents that this will not be the case in my term. Instead, my proposed “Richmond Unity Council” will help coordinate an immediate full and comprehensive review of basic residential water rates, indeed city utility policy in all aspects, to make sure any unfair fee, or “tax”, burdens on individuals and/or businesses are eliminated as quickly as possible.

We need to turn the page on the failed politics and policies of the past. So while it is only fair to acknowledge that City Hall, through it’s latest proposals, has at last become more pro-active on the issue of basic residential water rates, it is also likewise only fair to point out that neither City Hall nor City Council have demonstrated the urgency needed to make the necessary changes required to save Richmonders millions of dollars.”

(end of Goldman for Mayor press release)

So there it is. Do any of the other candidates, including the Oregon Hill-raised Dirtwoman have anything to say about the matter?

As King of the Hill, I am reconsidering the mount of tribute that my subjects pay in relation to the services supplied to them by the City government. I am not alone.