Standoff On Fees At Water Agency

WSSC commissioners often split along county lines, as they did in deciding whether to offer General Manager Andrew Brunhart a new two-year contract. (By Susan Biddle -- The Washington Post)
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Under a proposal by Montgomery, rates would have risen by 9.5 percent in July and customers would have faced a monthly $12 fee for pipe replacement.

Montgomery commissioners said they could live with starting with a fee of less than $20 next year, allowing it to rise from $12 to $20 over several years. However, they said they believe the commissioners had agreed over months of study and discussion that these measures were needed to fund repairs.

"I don't think it is acceptable or responsible for us to walk away from the need for infrastructure renewal," said Montgomery Commissioner Gene W. Counihan.

Prince George's commissioners countered with a proposal to raise rates by 4 percent and impose no new infrastructure fee. Montgomery commissioners voted against it.

After a private phone consultation with Johnson's office, Prince George's commissioners proposed raising rates by 6.5 percent. The representatives from both counties agreed that they would discuss that proposal further today, after reviewing the effect of the rates on the budget.

The process brought a harsh rebuke from Brunhart. "I feel this whole dialogue amounts to horse-trading on the percent of water and sewer rates to reach a politically acceptable number that has nothing to do with providing reliable and clean water to our 1.8 million customers," he told commissioners.

The consequences for missing Saturday's deadline are unclear. A WSSC attorney told commissioners that they would be in violation of state law if they did so and might jeopardize the agency's bond rating.