Community Corner
Rate Increase Approved By Water Works Board
The Birmingham Water Works Board passed a 3.9 percent rate increase to offset a nearly $1 billion debt.
BIRMINGHAM, AL — Despite widespread public opposition, the Birmingham Water Works Board passed a rate increase of 3.9 percent on Tuesday, according to a WBRC report. This is the 10th year in a row that the board has raised rates.
The raise will be used to offset nearly $1 billion in debt, which was made public at a meeting earlier in the month regarding the rate increase proposal.
The board has been under scrutiny for more than a decade now, as mismanagement of funds has been an issue as recently as this year.
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Birmingham Water Works Board chairwoman Sherry Lewis was convicted in October of two of the three ethics charges for which she was indicted in 2017. Her sentencing is set for December.
Lewis was charged with using her position for personal gain, or for the gain of a family member, and voting on matters in which she or her family members had financial interest — including a no-show job for a family member, free meals, and other improper benefits.
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She was allowed to remain on the board right up until her conviction.
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