Water Department can afford to make amends
A few weeks ago, we reported that the Water Department has a $11 million budget surplus.
That’s a lot of money.
We asked what that money will be used for, and we were directed by the city administration to refer to an audit report. The report said that the money will be used to make sure there is funding in place so that the department continues to operate.
And, the report said, the money will be used to make repairs to the water infrastructure.
We have another suggestion on how to spend the surplus.
Pay back those homeowners who were socked with a $4,600 bill to fix the sink holes behind their house in the alley.
Six years ago, a new DPW superintendent, who is long gone, decided to enforce an obscure city ordinance requiring homeowners to foot the bill for repairs if their line had broken and leaked and caused the sinkhole.
For years the city was paying for those repairs, but out of nowhere this new DPW superintendent decided the city could no longer afford that.
In the meantime, the city’s water department now has an $11 million budget surplus.
We think the city can, indeed, afford these repairs. On the other hand, most homeowners cannot.
In fact, it has been widely reported from various media outlets that 40 percent of Americans can’t afford an emergency $400 bill. And consider this, most Hamtramckans are living at, or near, poverty level.
Many are retired, and living on fixed incomes.
Going forward, it is only fair for the city pick up the cost of these repairs.
They can also afford to pay back those homeowners who were the victim of a whim by a former DPW superintendent – one who, like so many others, came here for a brief time, and then moved on to a better job.
Posted April 17, 2020
2 Responses to Water Department can afford to make amends
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The Truth
April 22, 2020 at 10:03 am
“Six years ago, a new DPW superintendent, who is long gone, decided to enforce an obscure city ordinance requiring homeowners to foot the bill for repairs if their line had broken and leaked and caused the sinkhole.”
Translation: Before six years ago, no one was enforcing the rules and someone realized the city was paying for something it wasn’t supposed to be paying for.
“For years the city was paying for those repairs, but out of nowhere this new DPW superintendent decided the city could no longer afford that.”
Translation: After years of complacency, someone finally decided to do their job.
“They can also afford to pay back those homeowners who were the victim of a whim by a former DPW superintendent – one who, like so many others, came here for a brief time, and then moved on to a better job.”
Translation: Here at the Review we will take any opportunity to throw previous city administrations under the bus, and we are not above taking cheap shots at people who aren’t around to defend themselves.
Great job, Charles Sercombe and the Hamtramck Review. That’s some real Pulitzer Prize winning material there.
Nasr Hussain
April 22, 2020 at 11:38 am
Taking into consideration that we already paying much more than other cities in water & sewage charges, this service should be free.
Each month I pay around $120 minimum for my business water even without consumption.
There is a reason there is a surplus in the water dept.