Update Regarding The Sewer Rate Increase - next @ City Council 9/10/24

Update Regarding The Sewer Rate Increase

In the first of two required votes, on Friday, August 30^th, 2024 the Los Angeles City Council voted to approve a rate hike to quietly double all residential and business sewer charges.

However, the second and final vote takes place on Tuesday, September 10^th, 2024 and the Mayor must also subsequently approve.

The proposed Sewer Service Charge rate would be an increase of $700 million over the next four years, doubling current customer rates beginning with a 22% increase in October 2024.

Mayor Karen Bass: 213 978-0600, @MayorOfLA (X and I)

Leave a voicemail if you don't reach someone.

Call or email your LA City Councilmember or a member you know, leave a voicemail if you don’t reach someone and let them know that you OPPOSE the rate hike. 

CD7 Monica Rodriguez: 213 473-7007, @MRodCD7

[email protected]

Thank Councilmembers Monica Rodriguez, Traci Park and Kevin DeLeon who voted NO on the proposed sewer rate increase in committee. Ask all three of them to hold firm and continue to VOTE NO.

The City is circumventing a tax increase ballot measure by using its monopoly power to impose a massive cost increase on residents and businesses to offset the hundreds of millions in taxpayer funds lost on failed policies. This quietly doubles our sewer charges.

Virtually no ratepayers knew about the sewer service rate increase, limiting the very opinions which every elected Councilmember should solicit, welcome and encourage. 

Ratepayer Advocate Was Not Permitted To Review Proposed Increase

The Office of Public Accountability and Ratepayer Advocate was not permitted to review the proposed Sanitation rate increase. What’s the point of a public Ratepayer Advocate who is not permitted to advocate? The only “analysis” Angelenos received is a whitewashed, public relations version, promoted by the revenue beneficiaries themselves. Our public tax dollars are paying Los Angeles City staff to work against interests of residents, voters and taxpayers.

Insufficient Burden of Proof

The way this sewer rate increase has been manipulated virtually guarantees adoption by this government as a largely unregulated, monopoly utility. The burden of proof sufficient for approval has not been carried by the City of Los Angeles, and to add insult to injury, the Council sits in judgment of its own institutional proposal. 

This rate increase in being handled in such a concealed manner as to be a breach of the City of Los Angeles’ fiduciary duty to voters by holding an election while pretending that, “we want to keep you informed” but never stating that “this is a referendum,” the disclosures for which are inadequate. 

Backwards Approval Standard

A standard that a proposed rate increase will be approved unless a majority of ratepayers file timely written protests is backwards, counter-intuitive and should be as unacceptable to Los Angeles City Council as it is to ratepayers. 

The City Clerk reports that only 7,864 valid written protests were received, about 1% of the 786,311 parcels the LA Sanitation Department identified upon which the rates are proposed for imposition. This “paves the way” for the Council to proceed with the adoption of the rate increase because the majority protest threshold was not met. Do you think ratepayers WANT sewer rate increases? They didn’t even know about it! 

Talking Points

Here are some Public Comment Talking Points examples for use at the Tuesday, September 10^th, 2024 at 10:00am City Council Meeting and when you call your Councilmember's office:

• We need to STOP the sewer rate increase until an independent analysis is completed. Tell the Councilmember to vote to STOP it.
• This increase will harm the most vulnerable among us and those already struggling to make ends meet, especially the elderly and others on fixed incomes.
• Tell the Councilmember to step up and put fiduciary responsibility to the electorate and constituents over this sewer rate increase!

Council Files

The relevant motion will be on the Tuesday, September 10^th, 2024 City Council agenda. Post your comments as soon as possible. Here's how:

Go to Council File 23-0600-S9. Click Red NEW button and write, copy or paste your comments. Don't forget to confirm your email address!

A new Motion has been submitted by Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez. Council File 24-0995, Ratepayer Advocate / Supplementary Review / Proposed Sewer Service Charge Rate Adjustments / Wastewater Systems Challenges (Rodriguez – De Leon): Introduced August 27, 2024 and referred to Energy and Environment Committee. Motion is instructing the Bureau of Sanitation (BOS) with the assistance of the Ratepayer Advocate (funded by BOS) to conduct a supplementary review of the proposed Sewer Service Charge rate adjustments and the components that comprise it – consisting of the capital program, operation and maintenance expenses and debt service requirements – in order to assess its viability and determine if there are alternative methods to address the wastewater system’s challenges.