| Author |
Message |
    
MHD
Citizen
Username: Mayhewdrive
Post Number: 4156
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, June 3, 2006 - 9:59 pm: | 
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I just got the latest Sewer Bill from South Orange and was surprised at how high the amount is compared to what I recall it was in past years.
Is this bill based on usage, based on your proprty assessment, or a flat fee for everyone? |
Bailey
Citizen
Username: Baileymac
Post Number: 299
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, June 3, 2006 - 10:10 pm: |
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I was visiting my Mom when she got her bill and I thought hers was very high as well. We got ours a day later, both 165.00, must be a flat fee for everyone.
Seems high to me. |
campbell29
Citizen
Username: Campbell29
Post Number: 467
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, June 3, 2006 - 10:36 pm: |
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Flat Fee - has been more or less the same for the past 5 years |
MHD
Citizen
Username: Mayhewdrive
Post Number: 4159
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, June 3, 2006 - 10:52 pm: |
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Campbell - going back to my records, I THINK the Fee was as follows:
2006 - $165
2005 - $108
2004 - $108
2003 - $88
2002 - $120 (?)
2001 - $80
2000 - $80
1999 - $80
So, if I'm not missing anything, it has more than DOUBLED since 5 years ago.
Is this fee set by the Village or some other "agency" like our Water Bill or Garbage Bill is? |
SO Ref
Citizen
Username: So_refugee
Post Number: 1869
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, June 4, 2006 - 8:43 am: |
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This is what we get from having Al Rosen providing "continuity" on the Sewer Board every year... |
HOMMELL
Citizen
Username: Hommell
Post Number: 216
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, June 4, 2006 - 10:29 am: |
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Divide by 12 and you will probably find that it is worth it. Just think of all the _____ they take.  |
Monster©
Supporter
Username: Monster
Post Number: 3455
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, June 4, 2006 - 11:07 am: |
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150 every year I've lived here, well in Maplewood that is.... |
IMHO
Citizen
Username: Imho
Post Number: 7
Registered: 3-2006
| | Posted on Monday, June 5, 2006 - 12:58 pm: |
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Re the higher sewer bill - I was told by the tax office that the bill last year was substantially higher because it included a captial improvement assessment. This year there was no capital improvement assessment but our BOT's decided to keep the bill higher anyway. Is this fair? |
Rastro
Citizen
Username: Rastro
Post Number: 3308
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Monday, June 5, 2006 - 1:00 pm: |
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There is a difference between fair and legal. Of course it's not fair. Ask where the extra money s going... |
Nuff Sayid
Citizen
Username: Parkingsux
Post Number: 431
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Monday, June 5, 2006 - 1:05 pm: |
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Didn't Mark Rosner indicate that the Sewer Authority is a slush fund for political campaigns? Mark, could you tell us some more? Perhaps they're planning to dump a load for the next village campaign in 2007 and the BoT decided to bank the crap early. |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 11723
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, June 5, 2006 - 3:16 pm: |
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I think the theroy is to collect more than the actual bill to offset special capital charges, etc. I think this was discussed by the Maplewood TC a while ago. The money is held, I hope, in trust. Apparently the fees charged by the Joint Meeting (I love that name) vary from year to year. |
mrosner
Citizen
Username: Mrosner
Post Number: 2798
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Monday, June 5, 2006 - 3:31 pm: |
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The political money theoretically comes from the connections made while on the joint meeting (Bobk, I love the name too..).
The theory behind leaving the fee at $165.00 was two fold. First was that there will be other capital improvements so some of the fee should be put away for that. Second, since tax-exempt properties have to pay these fees, then it was a way to get more money from them (for example, SHU). Obviously they pay a lot more than $165.00, but I do not remember the amount.
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jayjay
Citizen
Username: Jayjayp
Post Number: 677
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Monday, June 5, 2006 - 6:20 pm: |
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Mr.Rosner-
Where exactly is the money "put away?" And why not pay as you go instead? Frankly, I'd rather the money in my pocket than the village's. In addition, you say this is a way to get more money from SHU. But if the money is "put away" then the money is frozen anyway, and not going to be used until there is another sewer capital improvement, right? Something doesn't jive here.
And why wasn't this explained in a mailing to residents? Did the BOT think this would go unnoticed? |
Dave
Supporter
Username: Dave
Post Number: 9732
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Monday, June 5, 2006 - 7:20 pm: |
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I'd bet South Orange families would rather put the money away for something closer to home.
Voters: Remember when to FLUSH! May 2007. Vote for candidates who don't collect money before it's even needed. That's not even a tax. It's fiscal abuse. |
MHD
Citizen
Username: Mayhewdrive
Post Number: 4166
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, June 5, 2006 - 8:36 pm: |
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Fiscal abuse? In South Orange? Impossible.  |
sac
Supporter
Username: Sac
Post Number: 3473
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, June 5, 2006 - 9:01 pm: |
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When I first moved to Maplewood about 20 years ago, it was $50. It jumped to $100 and then to $150. At least one of those jumps came with something that implied that it was temporary (such as an assessment to pay for some sort of improvements, although I don't remember the details.)
But it never went down, only up.
I wish that they would at least collect it in the taxes so that it could be deductible. |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 11732
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 6, 2006 - 2:42 pm: |
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MHD, I just caught your first post in this thread. The idea of having meters to measure outflow of sewage for some reason makes me laugh outloud!! 
"I am sorry dear, but you have to hold it until you get to school. We have to watch our sewage bill."
Actually, when I was a kid a family moved in next door from Tulsa, Oklahoma where water supply was an issue. The little girl told her Mom, "they must be rich, they flush for everything". |
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