MORE ON CITY’S OVERBILLING WATER-SEWER, PERKINS PUSH-BACK

… Posted: Wednesday, October 16, 2019 … 10:20 A.M. …

MORE ON CITY’S OVERBILLING WATER-SEWER, PERKINS PUSH-BACK

As I shared in a post the day-before-yesterday, Caddo District Judge Michael Pitman has ruled that, yes, the city’s Water & Sewerage Department has long overbilled us for those services.

Not surprisingly, the Perkins administration is unhappy … and is pushing-back against any notion of a quick refund to the 60,000 or more customers thus abused. Here is a statement from his City Attorney, Mekisha Smith Creal, via The Times:

“We want to ensure that Shreveport citizens are treated fairly, while avoiding disruptions to operations. Similar rules and ordinances are utilized in peer cities around the country, and have been in place in Shreveport for decades. No final financial judgment has been reached at this time. We are currently exploring the legal remedies available. The City of Shreveport remains committed to fair treatment and quality service.”

Yes, Mayor Perkins is contemplating an appeal or some other means of preventing refund checks to we the people.

Logic, if it matters, would suggest his honor must try to finesse any such action or plan as necessary to get past the City’s bond election on November 16th.

Perkins would have done well to honor the attempt of some few of us to postpone the bond issue for six months … especially since he / his attorneys were well aware this might happen before that vote.

Another fuzzing-up of facts and truth is already rampant … claims that “the city” does not have the estimated $25,000,000 necessary to refund its ill-gotten gains.

As I explained in an article this past June, that is pure bull stuff. I opened that article (here on Facebook and posted on RealShreveport.com) this way:

“Regardless that a considerable number of Shreveport city officials are busily denying it, our city’s water and sewer operation is awash in our money … increasingly so over the past five-plus years. In fact, the official balance of the Water and Sewerage Enterprise Fund has jumped more than $45,000,000 since budget year 2013: from a December 31, 2013 deficit of -$2,958,700 to a December 31, 2018 surplus of $42,188,600.”

For those who missed the article, here is the link:

https://realshreveport.com/city-water-sewer-department-sits-atop-money-mountain