Ratepayers Support Subsidy for Seniors

CAMARILLO — A majority of the people who voted in a special poll Wednesday decided that they will continue to subsidize the rates of low-income senior citizens.

About 3,000 of the city’s 11,000 sewer ratepayers and 2,500 of its 10,000 water ratepayers voted to continue the subsidy, which has been provided since 1977. About 3,500 votes were cast in the sewer balloting, with about 84% in favor, and 3,080 votes were cast in the water balloting, with 81% in favor.

The results were announced at the Camarillo Sanitary District and City Council meetings Wednesday evening.

“This is an attribute to our city,” Councilman Mike Morgan said. “For people to see that we have low-income seniors in need and to respond this significantly has made me proud of our city.”

The reduced rates are available to people who are 62 or older, with an annual income below $15,000 and a monthly use of no more than 10 units, or 7,480 gallons of water.

“Our city has always been a caring city,” Mayor Stan Daily said. “I’ve likened it to a family in the past, and a family takes care of its own. . . . Overwhelmingly, the people said they are going to take care of their less fortunate.”

For 20 years, about $30,000 from regular rates and interest subsidized the lower rates for senior citizens, equal to about 26 cents per month per regular ratepayer.

City Atty. Robert Flandrick said in July that water and sewage rates could no longer be subsidized because Proposition 218 prohibits cities from charging higher rates to some customers in order to subsidize the rates of others without their permission.

Rather than nearly double the water and sewer rates of the city’s low-income seniors, the City Council authorized a special vote as a way to circumvent the consequences of Proposition 218. Ballots were mailed to ratepayers Aug. 8.

Essentially a tax-cutting initiative, the proposition grants residents the right to vote on all sorts of taxes, fees and little-known assessments.

If the vote to continue the subsidy had failed, low-income seniors’ monthly sewer rates would have nearly doubled, from $10.92 to $21.08 for those living in single-family homes. And subsidized seniors who now pay $10.75 for up to 10 units of water would have found themselves paying that rate plus $1.16 for each unit of water used.

The special vote cost the city about $3,500.