New Water and Sewer Rates Help Pay Down Pension Debt

KPBS | By KPBS Public Broadcasting

Published January 17, 2007 at 10:43 AM PST

This story was published more than 17 years ago.

How much of the proposed water and sewer rate increase will go toward paying down San Diegos pension debt? We speak to a local reporter about what the water and sewer rate increase will pay for. We

Tom Fudge: Many things have contributed to the financial crisis of San Diego. Certainly one of them is the fact that raising taxes in the city is extremely difficult. Raising taxes requires either a majority or a two-thirds majority vote of the people. And San Diegans have shown little desire to raise taxes to pay for services and city worker salaries and pensions.

But one thing that city officials can, without a referendum, do is raise fees. And that’s what they intend to do with sewer and water fees. A report in the voiceofsandiego.org finds that a certain amount of that rate increase will go toward paying down the city’s pension, and retiree healthcare deficit.

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Guests

Evan McLaughlin, staff writer with voiceofsandiego.org.
Glen Sparrow, professor emeritus in the School of Public Administration and Urban Studies at SDSU.

Thad Kousser , assistant professor of political science at the University of California, San Diego.

Richard Rider, chairman of San Diego Tax Fighters.

New Water and Sewer Rates Help Pay Down Pension Debt

How much of the proposed water and sewer rate increase will go toward paying down San Diegos pension debt? We speak to a local reporter about what the water and sewer rate increase will pay for. We

How much of the proposed water and sewer rate increase will go toward paying down San Diegos pension debt? We speak to a local reporter about what the water and sewer rate increase will pay for. We