"We are extremely alarmed by this proposal, especially during this period of economic crisis," wrote Carolyn Larson in a letter to the Goleta Water District, protesting the rate hikes voted in on June 23. Public outcry against the water rate increase proposed by the district reached a fever pitch, but ultimately too few protested to rescind the proposal successfully.
The Goleta Water District passed a measure last Tuesday in favor of a five-year plan that will increase water rates by anywhere from 58 percent to 74 percent, depending on water usage. For a single household with a water bill of $48, it will rise to $57 on July 1, according to the new water rates . But the rates crank upward for those who use more than 600 cubic feet of water — at 1,300 cubic feet, the rate jumps from $111 to $148.
“There is no doubt that to maintain a safe and reliable water supply our water rates need to increase,” Kathleen Werner, vice president of the district, said in an email. “The question is by how much.”