High water bills prompt Stouffville residents to organize

YorkRegion.com
Sept. 7, 2016
Ali Raza  

Stouffville residents on fixed incomes can’t afford a recent spike in water bills, says the organizer of a ratepayers' group.

Jack Verhoog and his neighbours – who live around Booth Drive and Thicketwood Boulevard near Stouffville Memorial Park – reported higher than normal water bills during the summer. Prompted to take action, Verhoog placed an ad inviting residents to a meeting on Aug. 2 at town hall to discuss the “abnormally high water bills,” town spokesperson Glenn Jackson confirmed.

“If you protect people with fixed incomes now, they’ll be protected from further increases,” Verhoog said, who added he'd received 80 emails about the meeting where 60 people attended.

As of April 1, 2016, the Regional Municipality of York increased rates for water and wastewater services. Verhoog believes this is why his bills and those of his neighbours have been higher than usual.

Rates for the average household in the region will jump $93 this year, $101 in 2017, $110 in 2018, $120 in 2019, $131 in 2020 and $45 in 2021.

The average household bill for water and wastewater is $1,032 per year across the region.

While the region argues the hike is to cover operating costs, meet regional expenses, maintain $5.3 billion worth of infrastructure and pay off debt, Verhoog says residents with fixed income cannot keep up with price hikes.

He has been in contact with York Region Chairman and former Whitchurch-Stouffville mayor Wayne Emmerson.

Jackson concurred with Verhoog’s claims.

“The town is currently verifying the accuracy of the water meters in question and confirming that the submitted readings may have been estimates and not actual readings,” Jackson said. “To date the town has not found any meters that would contribute to the inaccuracy of the readings.”

Jackson said the town is trying to resolve the issue. Verhoog has praise for the town's acting CAO, Rob Raycroft.

“I’m very, very pleased with him (Raycroft),” Verhoog said. “Everything I put forward was taken care of.”