By Christina Sampson
InMaricopa.com
Maricopa Mayor Christian Price has created a task force in response to a possible Global Water rate increase.
The purpose of the task force, Price said, is to help the city work with residents and homeowners’ associations in giving feedback on the proposed increase.
For its Santa Cruz water system, which services Maricopa, Global Water is requesting an increase that translates into a monthly rate increase of $16.84, from $33.16 to $50, for a residential customer served by a 5/8-inch and 3/4-inch meter that uses 7,000 gallons per month.
The rate hike would fund a 27.8 percent increase of Global Water’s current gross annual revenues, approximately an additional $2.7 million.
For its Palo Verde sewage company, residential customers served by 5/8-inch or 3/4-inch water meters would see an increase from $62.91 to $78.63, or 25 percent.
That increase would fund a 28.9 percent increase of its current gross annual revenues, approximately $3.6 million.
Price said he seeks collaboration with residents, not a fight with the utility company.
Court Rich, attorney who successfully represented Maricopa before the Corporation Commission in the last Global Rate Case praised the City for forming a task force, “The formation of the task force is a great way to get the people educated on how to make their input heard on this rate hike. It appears that Global is attempting to undo some hard fought victories from last time around so the City and its citizens are right to be concerned about this. The MOU with Global does not prohibit the City from intervening to protect Maricopa’s interests so I suspect the City and its citizens will carefully consider if they want to defend the major victories from last go around or if they are willing to concede.”
