News Oct 30, 2013 at 4:00 am

Why a New Water District Might Not Save Cash: Higher Interest Rates

Comments

1
If the SEC investigates the City's long-term misuse of ratepayer funds (subject of Commissioner Lloyd Anderson lawsuit against the City) what will that do the bond rating?
2
SOMETHING should happen, whether it is a new governing board or not.
Compare our water rates with Seattle, Los Angeles, Vegas -- you name it -- and our rates are not just fractionally more, but hugely significant.
I don't know that this board is the answer, but this argument against is not very convincing - to me anyway.
3
Craford's measure is a dead issue. If he hasn't polled it lately he will soon, and then he'll be forced to fold up his tent.

The most surprising thing about this episode is that the Gallatin Group (his employer) let him get so far out on this in the first place. They were a quiet, competent back-room player who --though I hate their politics --probably earned their hefty fees running campaigns, lobbying and PR for various mainstream Republican projects.

With this fool's errand of a campaign, they've let Craford turn them (awkwardly) into rabble-rousing, fact-challenged pseudo-populists. This was a bungled campaign right out of the gate. Badly conceived, poorly written and messaged... Gallatin's other clients must be recoiling in horror right now. Why the management let it happen I can't understand.
4
Some of the comments on this and related media stories seem to consistently confuse water rates and sewer rates. These are 2 entirely separate issues, related only by the fact that Portland requires the Water Bureau to include sewer rates on one combined bill. Portland's WATER rates are not particularly high in comparison to other cities of similar size and configuration. The rate shock experienced by Portland customers is almost entirely a product of the Big Pipe and related to cleaning up the Willamette River. The conflation of water & sewer rates in these discussions does everyone a serious disservice. The Mercury has helped clarify the issues by this well-written and well-researched article.
5
The sewage bill, combined with your water bill, is a percentage of your water usage, correct?
Yeah, I think we all understand that.
STILL - compare our water/sewage rates to any other city, and we are getting screwed, and you cannot lay all the blame on the Big Pipe.
6
Oregon's own DEQ estimates that sixty percent of household water ends up in the sewer, yet most months we are charged 100 percent. Also, considering the condition of our sewers, I wonder how many CCFs of wastewater are actually treated. My guess is a fraction of what we are charged for.
7
Portland is swimming in water. That's why rates were low until greedy handlers of City Council members decided that if citizens are willing to pay more in other cities, then they damned well ought to pay more in Portland, where there was the greatest potential for profit to be made in the bond market.
8
PDX2000 - if the SEC investigates a municipal government?! LOL WUT?!
9
My god, an adult take on an issue that factors in that whole complicated finance thing!

I get the feeling most Portlanders think this shouldn't matter - I mean we're all so nice and friendly, why can't we just get the money from the money people and do like a bunch of sustainable stuff!? I mean it rains a lot right!?

For any municipality, our cost of capital is massively important. As a tax payer, it's literally how much you're going to pay investors back for your city. And you will pay.
10
There is no place anywhere in the United States, including the desert Southwest, where there isn't enough rainfall to provide all of the water needs for every household, with a rain catchment system on every house. There is absolutely no need for centralized water nor any water bureau at all. The Water Bureau is run by a bunch of filthy thieves. Bond sales is a Wall Street scam.

http://earthship.com/Systems/water

http://nickguarino.com

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