ON THE MARK... Hurricane Water Woes
Commentary                                                             By Mark Hallburn
Publisher
PutnamLIVE.com

Just in time for Christmas, the Hurricane City Council wants you to                                  pay more for water.                                      Despite the strong                           objections voiced by                         consumers at the last                                City Council meeting,                                 Mayor Scott Edwards                                  and most of the                                   Council arrogantly                                  passed a "temporary" surcharge of $1.10 per thousand gallons. This can cost the average Hurricane home about $3-$4 a month, nearly $50 a year-starting in December.

PutnamLIVE.com says no way!

Just two years ago, Hurricane raised its water bill in order to expand its reservoir. The promise was more capacity, more water, to handle the town's growth. That promise has been broken.

Hurricane's reservoirs are nearly dry. Not Poca's, not Buffalo's, not Nitro's, not Winfield's, not Eleanor's not Charleston's, not Huntington's. Only Hurricane's.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

City leaders, including Mayor Scott Edwards, and City Manager Ben Newhouse, want you to believe that Hurricane's coffers are dry. That the cost of buying water from other sources (again, THEY have water!) is burying Hurricane in red ink.

Don't believe the lies!

Hurricane has seen a recent increase in tax revenues of about $100,000 from the Wal-Mart that hasn't even opened. The same Wal-Mart construction site where thousands of gallons are sprayed each week while you and I are asked to conserve.

Was Wal-Mart asked to bring water in from elsewhere? NO!

Edwards and Newhouse won't stand up to Wal-Mart! Instead, they are asking you to bend over, grab your ankles, and let them drive their water surcharge you-know-where!

!Nature should fill Hurricane's reservoirs by winter. But Edwards and Newhouse's water surcharge is scheduled to run for a year. That's another rip-off.

Did we mention that Newhouse doesn't even live in Hurricane? The non-resident has nothing to lose by forcing YOU to pay more for YOUR water!

Don't forget, Edwards voted himself a raise last year when he was a councilman. And Newhouse makes about $60,000 a year-plus benefits.

Did I mention that Newhouse is the only City Manager in Putnam County? Winfield doesn't have one. Buffalo doesn't need one. Poca does without a City Manager. So does Nitro. Only Hurricane wastes $60,000 a year on a needless City Manager. And only Hurricane has a water shortage. Coincidence? We think not! 

PutnamLIVE.com has the solution: Eliminate the City Manager position, use the $60,000 a year to pay the water bill, and make Edwards give back the raise.

Providing water for its citizens is the most basic thing a city can do. Edwards, Newhouse, and Hurricane have proved they can't handle the job. Instead of ripping off the citizens, they need to make the sacrifices.

Here's what Edwards and Newhouse are hoping will happen: They want the West Virginia Public Service Commission to rubber-stamp their water rip-off. But we can stop Edwards and Newhouse. Contact the PSC at the following address and tell them to say NO to Edwards and Newhouse's water rip-off. Don't let the scrooges that badly manage Hurricane grab your wallet at Christmas! Tell the PSC that you want responsible management in Hurricane. Tell the PSC that you are tired of getting ripped off from the scoundrels at Hurricane City Hall. Tell the PSC to make Wal-Mart truck water in during a shortage. Tell the PSC that integrity counts!

West Virginia Public Service Commission

201 Brooks Street
PO Box 812
Charleston, WV 25323
Phone: (304) 340-0300
Toll-Free: 1-800-344-5113
FAX: (304) 340-0325