Cottingham votes ‘No’ to sewer rate increase

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

— Saying he did not approve of sewer rate increases, councilman Bob Cottingham cast the dissenting vote for the rate increase which city officials say is necessary to meet the demands of wastewater department.

“I feel like the people of Pea Ridge are taxed too much as it is and I feel like it will create an undue burden on them above and beyond,” Cottingham said Tuesday, March 15, at the regular City Council meeting. “Personally I feel like there are other ways to come up with the revenue.”

Cottingham said he believedhe heard the auditor to say there were discrepancies in the department’s financial statement to which water/wastewater superintendent Ken Hayes responded asking for an example.

Mayor Jackie Crabtee explained to Cottingham that thedepreciation accounts were what made numbers appear to have a discrepancy.

“I take offense that you say I operate my department in a nonchalant manner,” Hayes said.

Council member Nadine Telgemeier said she agrees with Cottingham’s pointthat the rate will be difficult for rate payers but said her only criticism of Hayes was that he didn’t “squeak the wheel a few years ago.”

“As long as I’ve been in office,” the mayor said, “you want to be easy and get by as long as you canand not charge a rate that is excessive. But then, you have to back and playcatch up.”

The sewer rate increase passed three to one.

News, Pages 1 on 03/23/2011