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MMWD’s Reverse Robin Hood Fee: Object via Your City Council
MMWD's PR visits to City Councils are a chance for you and your Council to object to the planned Reverse Robin Hood funding scheme for its planned capital maintenance fee (CMF). Speak up during public comment at your council meeting. Email your Council members to urge them to represent your concerns.
Marin Municipal Water district proposes to collect $16.5MM annually for infrastructure projects. While the project list may or may not be worthy, the funding scheme is not.
The smallest customers (homeowners) will pay disproportionately. This is because the fee (1)is based on meter size rather than water usage and (2)exempts private fire lines, which are very large diameter meters serving the biggest customers (e.g., malls, office buildings, and apartment complexes). Renters who are directly billed by MMWD (typically those who rent an entire house) are also exempt.
The CMF will go on property tax bills of homeowners and businesses; tax exempt entities will be directly invoiced.
Most homeowners’ CMF will start at $163 (5/8th inch meter) or $409 (1” meter); some homeowners will pay $817 (1.5” meter). This is the tip of the iceberg. The fee initially will escalate up to 4% per year.PLUS, MMWD has openly discussed the “need” to bump it up much more substantially, doubling or trebling it to accommodate their big plans. They can boil the frog quickly. You don’t get a direct vote.
MMWD’s visit to your city council is an important chance to be heard, and for your Council to weigh in. Ask your City Council to support you by telling MMWD to:
- Pause the process and develop a fairer scheme that has wide community support. That’s what the IJ Editorial board advocates.
- Don’t put a CMF on property tax bills.Nothing good results.Many ratepayers won’t notice how much their total payments to MMWD went up.But many WILL see that their taxes have gotten bigger yet again.The risk: MMWD crowds out other vital services like schools and parks, as overburdened taxpayers reject future tax measures.
- Put any CMF on water bills and make it fair.Tie it to usage. That can be structured to provide a predictable flow of capital to MMWD, per Paul Premo’s Better Plan.
- Fund future capital projects as much as possible with low cost debt.That would lower the financial burden on current ratepayers and costs of long-lived infrastructure over generations of Marin water users.
- Commit not to jump up the CMF during the initial 10 years.4% per year is more than enough: that compounds to 48% over the decade.
Return your rate protest form! You will receive soon an official rate hearing notice from MMWD related to the CMF PLUS a series of back to back 4% annual rate hikes. To stop these fee hikes, a majority of ratepayers must return the rate protest form that’s in that mailer. While 50%+ is an insurmountably high bar, a large number of protest forms should alter the result, if MMWD Directors care about your concerns.
Upcoming MMWD public appearances:
Corte Madera Council – Tues April 2, 6:30PM
Fairfax Council – Weds April 3, 7PM
Ross Council – Thurs April 4, 6PM
Belvedere Council – Mon April 8, 6:30PM
Mill Valley Council – Mon April 15, 6:30PM
San Rafael Council – Mon April 15, 7PM
Sausalito Council – Tues April 16 or 30
Tiburon Council - TBD
Marin Coalition lunch – Weds May 1, 11:30AM
In addition, there are these MMWD hosted events:
Mill Valley Community Workshop – Thurs Apr 25, 5-8PM – Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto
San Rafael Community Workshop – Weds May 15, 5-8PM – Albert Boro Community Center, 50 Canal Street
RATE HEARING (when MMWD board votes) – Tues May 28, 7:30PM – 220 Nellen Ave, Corte Madera
COALITION OF SENSIBLE TAXPAYERS IS SPEARHEADING THE EFFORT FOR A BETTER SOLUTION. FOR MORE INFORMATION, RECEIVE ALERTS RELATED TO THIS ISSUE, AND GET INVOLVED: SIGN UP FOR ALERTS OR SEND A MESSAGE AT COSTMARIN.ORG