Posted on 01/23/25
| News Source: FOX45
Baltimore, MD - Jan. 23, 2025 - Baltimore's Board of Estimates has approved a significant increase in water and sewage rates, amounting to a 30% hike over the next 18 months, despite widespread public opposition. The decision follows two hours of complaints from residents who argue they cannot afford the increase.
"Baltimore City residents cannot afford even a $12 rate hike," one resident said during the hearing. Another added, "Some residents are being billed more than 10% of their income."
The rate hike is intended to fund critical infrastructure projects and comply with a federal consent decree that the city's Department of Public Works (DPW) has been under for over a decade. Public works officials insist the increase is essential, citing years of neglect.
"We are really talking about several generations of what I've said they've kicked the can down the road, and no one's happy about it," a city leader said.
Critics argue that large institutions are not paying their fair share, leaving poorer residents to shoulder the burden. "If they paid, then poor people wouldn't have to subsidize the city," one opponent said.
The city acknowledges $72 million in unpaid water bills and has renewed efforts to collect these debts. "There needs to be a focus on collecting the money from those who have it," a resident urged.
The mayor, who proposed the rate increase, left the hearing before the vote. The city manager, who replaced the mayor, voted in favor of the hike. Council President Zeke Cohen abstained from voting, explaining, "The reason I chose not to vote against it is because I bought the analysis that this is a necessity for this utility."
The measure passed unanimously among those who voted, leaving opponents frustrated. "I just really feel like it's mismanaged, and we need to look at the heart of the issue," one opponent said.