Trevor Miller
I think that’s going to be a hard pill to swallow for a lot of Flin Flon residents, but it’s not one we can really avoid.
The fact that it’s so front-loaded will be an unpleasant pinch on homeowners. Perhaps
it would be easier for people to take it more gradually, but at the end of the day, the bill still has to be paid.
It’s not like city councillors
get a special rate on water or property taxes. These increases are going to cost them money too, and this is the first rate increase we’ve seen in over six years.
Spread over the year, it amounts to a little more than a
$20 per month increase on a
$70 per month bill for the average user, and I think in the end our water treatment plant is worth the added cost.
Trevor Miller is a local writer and essayist.
Doreen Murray
The water treatment plant came in at a huge cost to ratepayers; however, can one really put a price on safe drinking water?
With the installation of a new water treatment plant, residents can now be assured of clean water for many years to come.
I’m sure if the city of Walkerton, Ontario, had the benefit of hindsight, they too would have considered upgrading their water treatment plant before so many of their residents died from drinking the water.
I would have liked a smaller increase for sure, but it may be a small price to pay for ensuring public safety.
Doreen Murray is a semi-retired businesswoman.
Ken Mansell
I do not think it is a matter of fairness; the plant has to be paid for. Flin Flon’s share is $5.4 million of construction and $370,000 to operate this year.
The only choice is to move out or stay and pay. I think if we would have had a choice, the plant would not have been built or it would have been a lot smaller and in a different location. Too late now.
Thankfully we now have a state-of-the-art plant with the cleanest water in Manitoba, unlike Winnipeg, where many residents had to buy bottled water last
summer.
Ken Mansell is a retired Flin Flonner.
