Council approves $35 monthly surcharge

The City Council unanimously approved a fourth-tier $35 per month water surcharge to fund the new water treatment plant that goes into effect in November, and adjusted a city ordinance that governs which businesses will pay the surcharge.

RV park owners had protested that the $35 per month per slip charge was a financial burden that could drive them out of business, and was not being applied to The Pipeliner Inn or bed-and-breakfast and online vacation rentals that house long-term guests.

Rather than remove the per slip surcharge from the RV parks, the Council chose to apply the tax to the other hospitality business when guests stay for longer than 30 days.

“There is a law that says if you are going to charge per RV slip for water, you can’t charge a fee that you don’t charge to another business that deals with transient guest,” said assistant City Attorney Dan Branum.

Code Enforcement Officer Dustin Hudson noted that the surcharge would force a prospective RV park owner to scrap his plans. “He feels it is unreasonable,” Hudson said.

Mayor Pro Tem Tom Parker rejected the argu ment. “We have asked all citizens to pay it,” he said.

“We talked about whatever we did to be fair and equitable,” Mayor Rue Rogers said. “It’s not water usage, it’s access to water.”

City residents now pay a $20 monthly surcharge per meter that will rise to $30 per meter in August. The surcharge has netted $106,581.22 from March 9-June 9, City Secretary Tammy Hourigan said.