A reader brought this to my attention. SB-11. It would allow for enhanced water districts via neighboring towns or municipalities to form intermunicipal water or sewer districts above and beyond (in addition to) existing ones, for the purpose of shared interests with regard to these utility services.
A few problems that come to my attention immediately. First, there is a new “regional” board or commission for every association of towns or cities who cooperate under this bill to address projects of regional interest; another board spending money should be viewed with suspicion. Second, they will be able to bond debt; another board with the power to create debt should be viewed with suspicion. Third, it is not clear whether people who do not use water or sewer might still be on the hook for assessments or fees collected to fund this new level of municipal government.
As a rule, no one pays anywhere near the kind of attention to their water district that they should as it is. Does adding another board that can create debt and manage fees for “regional water and sewer projects” sound like it will ‘save money?’
If flew out of the Senate Committee 5-0 in favor, passed the Senate, and danced out of its House committee 18-0 in favor. The vote is tomorrow, and who thinks this wont pass and earn a signature from Maggie Hassan?
So is SB 11 dangerous or not?
Relevant text from the bill…
31:140 Method of Appropriation. Each municipality shall adopt a budgetary appropriation for capital and operating expenditures including replacement and upgrades, or services to be performed in a water and/or sewer utility district as part of its budget process. The expense of constructing and maintaining the facilities needed to perform the authorized services to the district, or paying off any capital debt or interest incurred in constructing or maintaining the district on an annual basis shall be included in the budgetary appropriation. At the end of each fiscal year, a full accounting of expenditures shall be made.
31:141 Assessments and Fees. Upon adoption of the budgetary appropriation, the municipality may levy assessments or fees, or both, in an amount not greater than the net appropriation to a water and/or sewer utility district fund. The assessments and fees shall be made against the owners or users, or both, of properties in the water and/or sewer utility district and shall be based upon a formula determined by the municipality to be in relative proportion to benefits received by each property owner or user, or both, in the water and/or sewer utility district. Assessments and fees shall be billed and collected as specified by ordinance adopted by majority vote of the governing body of the municipality after a public hearing or in accordance with the terms of the intermunicipal agreement. Government property and non-profit organizations within the district shall be subject to the assessment and fees. Interest and other collection procedures shall be made by the tax collector or other official responsible for property tax collection. Enforcement powers for nonpayment shall be the same as those provided under RSA 80 relative to property tax collection.
It almost sounds like you have to be a customer of said service to be subject to any charges for enhanced sewer and water boarding services, but being a cynic, I can’t help but think this has been overlooked.
You still get to vote locally to enter into these or not. The voters do not appear to be giving up control, but most voters do not pay attention to water district business unless there is a really big sum being appropriated for something. Diluted across several towns that might lead to spending without enough question.
I’m happy to be wrong, and I hope I am, but I’m still suspicious. Maybe it’s the whole regional/ intermunicipal, agenda 21-ishness that has me spooked?
