Council Hikes Sewer Fees 27% Effective July 1

The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday narrowly approved a 27% increase in sewer service fees, over the objections of members who demanded lower rates for the elderly, disabled and poor.

The vote raises the average monthly residential fee from $8.24 to $10.43, effective July 1. And officials warned that fees are expected to continue climbing at 23% a year in each of the next five years to pay for a $3.5-billion construction program. By the 1994-1995 fiscal year, the average household’s sewer fee will rise to $23.07 a month, according to Dee Carey of the city administrative office.

The council also raised the fee for connecting a sewer to a new home from $1,728 to $2,003, a 16% hike, following a 46% jump last year.

If the council eventually adopts a program to subsidize low-income households, which appears likely, most residents will be getting an additional 3% rate hike later in the year.

“It’s going to create a tremendous hardship on older people,” said Councilwoman Gloria Molina about the fee hike. Molina had urged council members to delay the proposal until a suitable way to protect low-income households could be developed. But instead it carried on an 8-7 vote.

Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky warned the council that the new rate structure had to be approved immediately if the city was to avoid a default on the bonds it has sold to pay for sewer improvements.

Could Miss Deadline

Carey added that without the higher fees, “our construction program would virtually have to cease.” In that case, the city would likely miss deadlines for cleaning up it sewage problems and face fines by the federal government, she told the council.

With those threats hanging over the debate, a faction of the council led by Molina attempted to block a vote until the council dealt with a proposed “lifeline” program that would make sewer services available to the low-income households at reduced fees.

Molina charged that city officials deliberately dragged their feet in developing a lifeline program, which she had first proposed a year ago. “Don’t let the bureaucrats make this decision. . . . We’re elected to make the policy and the bureaucrats are hired to make it work,” she said.

Although almost all council members voiced support for a lifeline rate and some pledged to bring the idea to the full council within a month, most were swayed by Yaroslavsky’s argument that a new rate structure had to go into effect by July 1. Utilities, including the city’s own Department of Water and Power, routinely charge reduced lifeline rates for water, electricity, gas and telephone service.

Accuses Officials

Molina accused officials in the city administrative office, who have advised that a lifeline sewer rate would be difficult to implement, of trying to kill the idea.

According to a study by the city administrative office, the average household rate would increase by about 3%, or about 31 cents a month, in order to provide an estimated 130,000 low-income households with a 30% reduction in fees. Under the guidelines, households with an annual income of less than $15,300 would be eligible for the program.