Letter to the Editor: Springfield's Sewer Utility

This past week Springfield residents received a sewer utility bill for the first time ever. As one of the township committee members, I have already been approached by many residents questioning or expressing their displeasure with the bill. 

The first thing I've heard is that this is a tax; it isn't. It's a utility expense similar to other utility expenses homeowners incur. The residents may feel this is a matter of semantics since it still results in an outlay of money but technically it isn't a tax.

I agree that the public is incurring an expense but the alternative to creating this separate utility was to increase the municipal portion of the tax bill anywhere from 8-10 percent. The average homeowner with a 2009 tax bill of $10,000 would have seen an increase of $800-$1,000 which is much more then the baseline cost of the new utility.

The town's finance committee determined average annual usage at 48,000 gallons with a flat cost of $250 per year, and an excess use charge of $0.0031/gallon above the 48,000 threshold.

Is this the perfect solution?  No.  Is it the best solution available to us right now?  I believe it is, but I also believe it is a work in progress and that we should continue to review our method for calculating usage to make sure we've been as equitable as possible.

As always, constructive input from the public should be considered.

Bart Fraenkel

Deputy Mayor

Springfield Township