Paying more for water Court allows MVSD to increase rate over three years

Niles water users won’t see any rate increase until Jan. 1, if at all.

By TIM YOVICH

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

MINERAL RIDGE — A court of jurisdiction has allowed the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District to increase its water rate by nearly 40 percent during the next three years.

The MVSD sells treated bulk water wholesale to about 300,000 customers through its member cities — Youngstown, Niles and McDonald — for resale.

The action approved by the court Friday resulted in Youngstown increasing its rate by 30 1/2 percent over three years effective Sunday.

The court of jurisdiction is composed of Judge Peter J. Kontos of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court and Judge James C. Evans of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

The MVSD rate increase was announced Friday during a meeting of the district’s board of directors.

The increase comes as no surprise, as Tom Holloway, MVSD chief engineer, has been meeting with representatives of the three communities to discuss with them why the increase is needed.

The money will be used to pay off some debt and provide financing for more than $15 million in capital improvement projects.

Part of the plan

The MVSD three-year plan of improvements includes the replacement of various valves, construction of two clarifiers, cleaning lagoons, roof work on the administration/filter building, and installation of a system to reduce mineral buildup in the waterlines.

The court of jurisdiction allowed the increases of 14.85 percent effective Sunday, an additional 13.30 percent July 1, 2008, and 11.43 percent July 1, 2009.

This means the district will be charging $1.55 per 1,000 gallons of water used by the third year, up from the current $1.23 per 1,000 gallons.

In a statement released by Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams and city water commissioner John Casciano, Youngstown will increase its rate effective Sunday by 9.5 percent and 10.5 percent July 1, 2008, and July 1, 2009.

In Youngstown, the average customer’s monthly water consumption is 5,236 gallons or 700 cubic feet of water. Average customers will realize an increase of about $1.83 per month for city users and $2.43 for county customers, the statement said.

Niles Mayor Ralph A. Infante said that city won’t increase water rates to its customers at least until January.

Depending on the revenue from water sales, there is the possibility Niles may absorb the entire MVSD increase, the mayor said.

McDonald Mayor James Border said Friday the city instituted a water-rate increase several months ago in preparation for the MVSD action. No further rate increases are anticipated, he said.

Pay raisesIn other business, the district’s board approved pay raises already negotiated by its union employees who are members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

The 42 union members received 3 percent pay raises last July and will receive another three percent this year and 3 percent in 2008.

With the raises, field maintenance workers will be paid $20.01 per hour with purification operators being paid $22.05.

The contracts of Holloway and district secretary-treasurer Alan Tatalovich were extended one year without immediate pay raises.

Holloway is paid $89,000 annually; Tatalovich, $66,000.

yovich@vindy.com