BLANCHESTER — Village officials discussed sewer rates and general funding during Thursday night’s Blanchester council meeting.
Council member Josh Parks made a motion that would rescind an ordinance from 2021 regarding a sewer rate increase and reimbursing customers for the previous two years. Parks made a motion for the council to vote on this, but due to no other member seconding it, the motion failed.
Parks argued that with a $1.2 million carryover in the sewer fund, he didn’t see the need for it.
“However, we have $1.2 million in carryover, we have a police department that can’t stay funded for the rest of the year, we have a budget issue, we got the state auditor saying they want to come in and review everything after I talked to them,” said Parks.
James Bowling, from the Blanchester Board of Public Affairs (BPA), was present at the meeting objecting the ordinance. Bowling advised that no one from the village council had spoken to him or anyone else on the BPA. He went on to share the way the BPA had contributed to the village’s general fund.
“I sent an email on December 28 … about the contributions that we’ve made to the general fund, as well as our support to the police department,” said Bowling.
He went on to say that since 2005, they contribute over $3.77 million to the general fund from a tax credit they receive “by managing our own utilities in the village.”
“How much more can we give without taxing our customers by raising rates?” asked Bowling.
Parks asked Bowling why funds from the BPA couldn’t be transferred over to the police department. Bowling responded that there was only “so much more they could give and then in return we have to replenish that money.” He went on to say the only way they could do that is to raise rates.
Reach John Hamilton at 937-382-2574
