As Mayor, whenever an error is made, I will always take responsibility first and then work to correct the mistake. On March 11, 2021, the City Council voted to increase the water rates for Tallulah Water Service customers. The water rate increase was put into place to cover the cost of the rehabilitation of the Tallulah Water Plant.
At the March 11, 2021, meeting when the council took its vote, the outcome of the vote was two “yes” votes, two “no” votes and one “abstain” vote. Since there appeared to be a tie vote, I consulted with the City Attorney on what could be done. The City Attorney advised that due to a “tie” vote, I could cast the deciding vote. Acting on the advice of counsel, I voted yes and Ordinance 21-03-01 was adopted. The new water rates for Tallulah Water Service customers went into effect beginning May 2021.
On Monday, November 15, 2021, it was brought to our attention that, according to the Lawrason Act, the procedure to adopt Ordinance 21-03-01 was not done properly. After consulting with legal counsel, I am in agreement that the ordinance was voted on improperly and that it is in fact null and void. Due to that, the increase in water rate collections from our customers, which began in May 2021, must be refunded to Tallulah Water Customers. The refund time period is from May 1, 2021 to December 1, 2021.
Effective Monday, November 22, 2021, water rates will be reduced to the rates that were in place prior to the March 11, 2021 vote. Specifically, rates will lowered to the following: Residential base rate of $30 for the first 1,000 gallons and $4.50 for each additional 1,000 gallons; Commercial base rate of $50 for the first 1,000 gallons and $5.50 for each additional 1,000 gallons. Customer accounts will be credited to ensure proper refunds take place.
Due to my promise to the citizens to be a responsible steward of city finances, we are able to cover all refund amounts without any interruption to operational services. Citizens, we will not be deterred; Tallulah will move forward to fix our water issues for our community.
Sincerely,
Mayor Charles Finlayson
