KXO RADIO - Imperial Irrigation District customers could face rate increases

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Todays is : Friday, 09 January 2009

Written by George Gale
Tuesday, 07 October 2008
(Imperial Irrigation District Board will be asked to approve rate increases)…..Financial Consultants Mike Bell and Greg Broeking are putting together the Districts next spending plan. Bell told the Board Tuesday he had just received and tallied the budget requests from the various Departments. He said the proposed budget was way out of balance. Broeking told the Board they anticipated asking for a rate increase of 5-10 percent on energy bills and a $1 to $3 increase per acre-foot of water. Earlier Director Mike Abatti said he would like to discuss the Energy Cost Adjustment at a future meeting. Abatti said the fixed ECA was not providing the funds it was designed for. Abatti said the ECA was designed to fluctuate, in order to accommodate the fuel market costs. Bell and Broeking agreed with Abatti, and said a fluctuating ECA would help bring the budget in balance. The consultants said they would discuss the rate increases with the Board during budget meetings in December. Director Jim Hanks asked the financial consultants to cut everything possible before they bring the increase proposals to the Board. Director Stella Mendoza said if the Board must do something as unpleasant as rate increases, then she was willing to bite the bullet.