March 17
March 17, 2009
Loyce "Lois" H. Matherne
March 19, 2009Thibodaux residents and business owners should begin seeing lower water bills, thanks to a 6.3 percent price cut.
The Thibodaux City Council and Mayor Charles Caillouet implemented a 15 percent hike in the city’s water rate Dec. 1, 2008. The latest move, however, scales that figure back to 8.7 percent, or about 29 centers per 1,000 gallons used.
The new base rate for 1,000 gallons is $3.64, down from the previous rate of $3.93.
Caillouet announced the price decrease after meeting with officials at Nicholls State University.
The campus is one of the city’s largest water users, the mayor explained. Given the budget constraints the school is already under, university officials expressed concern that rising water rates would create an undue financial hardship.
Until the March 3 price cut, Caillouet had defended the 15-percent hike and the four-year-old formula that spawned it.
The mayor said the initial 15 percent hike was justified because the city needed to upgrade its antiquated water-delivery system.
Even with the new, lower rate, Caillouet said the improvements to the system are still feasible.
Hours after Caillouet announced the price drop, the city council took over the task of setting utility prices.
According to a series of ordinances penned by Councilman Lloyd “Chip” Badeaux, the future prices of water, gas and sewage services will be linked to the consumer price index, as has been done automatically since 2005. Rate changes will still require council approval.
“We are talking about accountability,” Badeaux said. “Rate increases should be based on our needs, not something that’s automatic.”
Council Administrator Jenny Morvant and city council attorney Germaine Jackson are redrafting Badeaux’s ordinances to include an exact time period in which city administrators can request an increase.
The new ordinances will have to be amended at a future council meeting.
