No Water Shortage but Rates continue to increase 56%
Governor Brown has announced the California drought is over but you are still getting a five year 56 % increase. Why? Overhead costs are out of control at all 24 San Diego County Water Districts. Mark Weston, the San Diego County Water Authority's Board Chairman wanted a 62 % 5 yr. price increase. You may want to ask where all the money is going.
At Helix Water the median salary is $80,556.00 and median benefits $47,150.00 per year and growing. Compare this to US Dept. of Labor median salary of $52,000 in the US. Health care at Helix is almost FREE to the age of 67, 70, or life, depending on hire date. Paid days start at 36 per year and increase with tenure. Long time employees can sell back unused PTO time for cash. All employees have annual cost of living increases and many other PERKS.
You may have read in the San Diego Union Tribune last week that San Diego wanted to temporally rehire a few retired fireman back each making more than $500.000 / yr. in retirement benefits. We are facing a similar predicament with all 24 San Diego County Water Authority Companies.
At Helix Water Ratepayers pay $15,273.00, pension, and $6041.00, Social Security, per median employee this year. Pension is guaranteed to grow at 7.5 percent per year. Compounded over the next 20 years you the rate payer will pay more than $600,000.00 per median employee towards their retirement benefits and this does not include any factor for merit increases.
Who is responsible for this at Helix Water? John Linden (Division 1), Charles Muse (Division 3), and DeAna Verbekeare (Division 2) are responsible for these rate increases. In the past year they have not denied any Helix Water increase expense. During their tenure, last 10 years plus, the Helix Water budget has increased 345 % and they have fewer employees (150-144) and only 651 (1%) new customers out of a total of 55,357 customers. This is a very heavy price for rate payers to pay for a free commodity supplied by Mother Nature. Unfunded Liabilities have grown to $53.9 million. ( $30 million in retirement benefits and $23.9 million retired health benefits); indicating future generations will have to bear most of the costs these three individuals have created.
Last year in order to reduce costs, I recommended subbing out the billing function to SDG&E. California Dept. of Water which controls the electrical grid in California and has a working relationship with SDG&E. Just look at the back of your SDG&E Bill. Notice any similarity between Helix Water and SDG&E invoices. This too fell onto deaf ears.
The only way to stop this trend is to elect responsible individuals who will represent the rate payers. These three Linden, Muse, and Verbekeare, have demonstrated over the past 10 years they are not capable nor willing to do the job. All 24 Water Districts in San Diego County face this out of control overhead cost spending. Only you the voters can intervene and elect responsible individuals to stop this continued thievery.
Do not reelect John Linden (Division 1), Charles Muse (Division 3) for Helix Water Board this November. read more
