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In This Issue:
Upcountry Tax to Pay for GSL AWA OKs Rate Increase Notice Consultant Explains Upcountry Tax AWA Amends Proposition 218 Procedures Again About RPA Ratepayer Protection Alliance (RPA) was formed to support the rights of the people of Amador County against unfair rate increases, which are usually used to subsidize special interests. Recently, RPA has assisted citizens who successfully protested several water rate increases. RPA is committed to ensuring that water, wastewater and garbage rates in Amador County are justified, and do not unfairly burden local residents. Donations RPA works hard to minimize costs of informing the public of unfair rate increases. RPA operates on the donated time of volunteers and no one is paid for their efforts. Donations for postage costs can be sent to: Ratepayer Protection Alliance P.O. Box 51 Pine Grove CA 95665 |
Upcountry Tax to Pay for GSL
After voting to increase water rates at its previous board meeting, the AWA Board voted to notice their intent to form a Mello-Roos special tax
assessment district to pay for the Gravity Supply Line (GSL). If approved, the district will tax upcountry property owners to pay for the GSL.
The annual tax will vary from $86/year for a typical residence, to as high as $860/year for properties that are 50 acres and larger. There will be a
public hearing on October 25th at 9:00AM. Affected property owners and voters can protest the tax at or before
the hearing with
a tax protest form available on our web site.
 AWA OKs Rate Increase Notice 
On September 13, the AWA Board approved a rate increase notice and agreed to have an evening hearing on the System-Wide Cost of Service
and Water Rate Study. The study shows some water rates will go up by 45%. The board did not set a date for the hearing and gave AWA
staff full discretion as to when and where the hearing will be held and when to send out the notices. An attendee asked for a rough date to
expect the notices in the mail. No one answered the question.
Consultant Explains Upcountry Tax On September 13, SCI Consulting Group explained the Gravity Supply Line (GSL) community facilities district (CFD) to the AWA board and public. AWA intends to impose a Mello-Roos tax on upcountry property owners of $86 per year to pay for the GSL. The presentation explained costs with and without the CFD, and how rates would be affected by the CFD. In their presentation, SCI predicted that the CFD will reduce costs and the reason for the decrease in costs is due to the reduction in electricity for pumping water to the Buckhorn Treatment Plant. Like all other current financial reports, SCI was basing their prediction on the budget and not actual costs.
AWA Amends Proposition 218 Procedures Again 
AWA’s attorney found even more problems with the Prop 218 procedures that his firm presented to the
AWA board earlier this year. This was the second time the procedures have been amended since
they were adopted in March. The changes were made because the previous procedures did not give
proper notification to all eligible protesters and required information on a protest form that a potential protester had no way of knowing.
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Please forward this message to others in Amador County and help us get the word out!
Visit us on the web: www.amadorwatchdog.org Our mailing address is: Ratepayer Protection Alliance, P.O. Box 51, Pine Grove CA 95665 Our telephone: 209-223-0993 Unsubscribe from these updates. Copyright (C) 2012 Ratepayer Protection Alliance. All rights reserved. |
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