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ECUA Rate Increases, Pay Hikes On Tap For Vote
September 22, 2010
ECUA garbage, water and sewer customers will see higher bills in the coming months if the utility votes Thursday for rate increases currently under consideration — and ECUA employees may receive across the board pay raises.
Emerald Coast Utility Authority customers in North Escambia only have garbage service. ECUA is proposing a three percent rate increase to take effect on October 1. That would increase the the bill by 54 cents per month from $17.99 to $18.53 for a customer with one standard 90-gallon container. Senior citizens would pay 45 cents more per month, from $15.08 to $15.53.
Significant increases for water and sewer customers would be in four stages, with a 10 percent increase on October 1, 2010, an a additional eight percent on October 1, 2011, another eight percent increase on October 1, 2012, and another eight percent increase on October, 2013.
The current average water and sewer bill would rise from $65.50 per month now to $70.36 in October.
The ECUA board voted 3-2 in favor of the rate increases, with Lois Benson and Dale Perkins against. Elvin McCorvey, Elizabeth Campbell and Larry Walker voted in favor of the rate hike.
ECUA’s new budget for 2010-2011 would also give pay raises to over 500 employees. There would be an across the board one percent pay hike, with an additional two percent merit pay increase for some employees. Benson and Perkins votes against the pay hikes, while McCorvey, Campbell and Walker voted in favor.
ECUA will hold a public hearing on the water, sewer and sanitation rate increases at 3 p.m. Thursday at the ECUA board meeting room in the Ellyson Industrial Park, 9250 Hammon Street in Pensacola.
Comments
21 Responses to “ECUA Rate Increases, Pay Hikes On Tap For Vote”
I was at the meeting, many people spoke against the rate hike.but the only thing they dropped was the raises, but kept most everything else.ECUA board must of had ear plugs in because they didnt hear one thing that was said.we sould be able to VOTE for anyone that runs for office in Escambia County, because they effect us the tax payer.as for me and many others Dr.Larry Walker is going to be history. the only people to vote against incerase was Benson,Perkins(election time) Walker,McCorvey,Campbell, votes for increases. (they need to go too)..
REGARDING:
“Minimum wage is the government telling private business how much they have to pay an employee. It gives no preference to good or bad employees. If the minimum wage increases, it naturally follows that the cost of goods and services increase…a vicious cycle, if you will.”
It doesn’t apply in this instance since the raises were simply because they are doing such a wonderful job, not because minimum wage has gone up.
Of course, people can fire bad employees or not hire them in the first place. Unemployment is tied to lack of usable skills which are tied to unemployment which is tied to the fact that you might hire a newby for $5 per hour figuring they will eventually be worth it but might not hire one for $8 per hour figuring they will never be worth that.
Instead of employees, people find other ways to do the jobs.
They farm them out to other countries.
They buy machines who do what people used to do.
They let the jobs go undone.
They do the jobs on the sly with undocumented workers. (undocumented
could be illegal aliens or simply people working off the books)
Congress justifies minimum wage on what a person with a family needs to live. Most early jobs are taken by single kids still in school or just out of school just learning to work, still supported by their parents until they can move out on their own.
So, yes, Congress has intentionally caused unemployment and prices to increase with minimum wage–not because it is good for the country (CNTRY) or the individual, but because it gets them votes and THAT is all that matters to them.
David for proper priorities
oh, or CNTRY could be country
Since computers don’t care, there’s no real reason to abbreviate what they are trying to say.
David for getting all the good out of computers and printers
REGARDING:
“which includes …….$.99 for FEE DUE TO CNTY ORD. What is this Larry? I don’t live anywhere near Century..”
That’s the problem with abbreviations, people sometimes misunderstand them.
CNTY-county
CNTRY-Century
David for free garbage pickup
BEFORE ECUA TOOK OVER THE TRASH WAS PICKED UP TWICE A WEEK IF THE RATES GO UP THEY CAN DO PICK UP TWICE A WEEK THIS ONCE A WEEK PICK UP IS VERY UNHEATHLY IT DRAWS THE MAGGOTS AND FLIES BAD NOT HEALTHY AT ALL
I wouldn’t mind the increase in rate if they didn’t drop pick ups to one day a week. If they increase it and have two pick ups a week.
But to cut down to one pick up a week, and increase rates is not right. And with no competition you’re forced to pay what these greedy vampires charge.
People we need to remember Larry Walker when the election comes around and vote him out – he put one good company out of business up here and now voted for a rate increase for our garbage collection, along the the cut in pick-up……..remember his name and vote NO on Larry Walker – I know I am…..
It shouldn’t take much $ for a pay raise for “employees”…IF they are paying actual PEOPLE to do these jobs. That is a LOT of the problem..they have too many trucks with ARMS that do the work for the people…I would much rather pay for someone on work release to actually ride on the truck, get off, empty the can than to pay for a “high tech” truck to do the work because people are too LAZY to work, and all they want is a pay check!
Per ECUA, if the County is a contractor,how can ECUA do what it wants. we the people need to get our County back,before too much damage is done (.P.S. I will be at the meeting tomorrow @3:pm)
Larry Walker worked very hard to get rid of Allied Waste Services, and he did.
Allied Waste Services charged $65.15 for three months service which was for two pickups each week. That breaks down to $21.72 per month for two pickups per week. One pickup per week would have cost $10.86.
You can add in the cost of one stamp and one check every three months.
Now: ECUA charges $18.98 every month for one pickup per week which includes …….$.99 for FEE DUE TO CNTY ORD. What is this Larry? I don’t live anywhere near Century..
You also have to consider the additional cost of two more checks and stamps every three months.
This is $8.12 more per pickup than Allied charged.
Recycling is subsidized by the county and does not pay for itself as done by ECUA as opposed to a private company actually making a profit from the same service. Why does the ECUA not want to publish how much this subsidy is?
How many things can you list that Government does more efficiently than private industry?
Its simple..ECUA customers..pay attention..ECUA folks just dont get it…
VOTE the ECUA board members OUT that vote for ANY RATE increase
or Merit-Pay raises for themselves…This is PATHETIC. Let them cut their
own BUDGET to pay for their(by design) new Taj-Mahal S*%t plant just built
next to the Solutia-Ascends plant located in Gonzalez/Cantonment.
ECUA board members think their customers are stupid and will follow
like sheep..SHOW up at the hearing and let the ECUA board members
know how you feel..Most like-minded people cant hold on to their jobs
now let alone.. find a job to pay their BILLs..People are in the poor house
now…do something..lead, follow, or get out the way.
I’m curious how the two of these relate. Minimum wage is the government telling private business how much they have to pay an employee. It gives no preference to good or bad employees. If the minimum wage increases, it naturally follows that the cost of goods and services increase…a vicious cycle, if you will. If minimum wage wasn’t a law, then employers could pay a wage that employees were willing to accept and could provide a cheaper service. An employer would naturally want to pay the lowest rate possible and the employee wants the highest rate payable; the two find mutual ground and the capitalist free market system works.
I don’t begrudge anyone a fair wage for work performed, but is it wise to give employees a raise on the backs of the public, who is already strained with unemployment, higher taxes, costs of living, etc.?
I don’t begrudge a business raising rates to cover costs if they can justify it to themselves and their customers; in other words, if the market will bear it.
I don’t know, but does the ECUA have competition? Is there someone else who can provide that service at a lower rate? If so, then maybe the customers can simply change their services over to another provider who may offer a lower rate. If not, isn’t that called a monopoly and generally frowned upon by the courts?
Just wondering aloud.
I recall a recent article here about unemployment and now here’s an article about costs going up on utilities.
Does anyone see a problem here?
I wouldnt have a problem with the increase IF my and the nation (the working class people) had a pay increase as well. You cant have the cost of living go up and not minimum wage, what am i saying, yes you can, it is happening right now!
ECUA just like our County have put a strangle hold on the citizens of Escambia. I found out that if you call and drop service you will still be charged for service,and if you dont pay the property will have a judgement placed against it for the balance due. If we the citizens dont stop all the crap we will all be in trouble,while the ECUA and the COUNTY get fat off us. when the bucket runs empty we will be left holding the bag.
To Confused,
Who ever told you it’s because you live in the north end lied. I live on the South West Side by (Gulf Beach Hwy) and ours was $17.00 (something) and now it’s $18.98. We get less and less pickups and charged more and more money. The reasons for price increase:
1. They WASTE money!! In my neighborhood on Wednesdays there are THREE trucks that come down my road. I live on a dead end street.
2. They want to give raises to their employees. I think that is just BS, especially with the economy in the shape that it is in right now.
OK, I’m already paying 18.98 for garbage in the Northend of the county it started out around 17.99 or something close to that and has increased over the past 6-10 months…I was told we were charged an extra fee because we live in the Northend. How much more will it go up if this passes!?
Well I guess they need money to operate the new plant since ECUA chose to use out of town contractor’s and spent all of our taxpayers money that FEMA gave us for our local economy. Shame on Larry Walker
ECUA should not try to hide the fact that in the end its pay raise plan will be a three percent across the board for everyone because in government every employee makes the grade for a merit increase.
Larry Walker should re-consider his position on these outrageous rate increases. Otherwise, he may find himself looking for a new line of work come the next election.
The person that picks up our garbage is always on time. If I have extra pick up or questions they are always helpful.I will pay it.
The ECUA empoyees ought to just be grateful they have jobs. I am sure Larry Walker will be gone for voting for rate increases right now. How many streets in this area have people illegally using trash cans they pick out of abandoned yards? People stop paying for collection and just go grab a can? I thought trash pick up was mandatory? So those of us who pay–pay for all the people who just don’t want to. Remember when it cost $1 to go across the bridge to the beach unless you just didn’t want to pay?