water rates

WATER AUTHORITY BOARD APPROVES 2024 WHOLESALE RATES AFTER PUBLIC HEARING

Board also approves budget for fiscal years 2024 and 2025

Photo courtesy PublicDomainPictures on Pixabay

East County News Service

June 24, 2023 (San Diego) - The San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors today approved wholesale water rates for 2024 following a public hearing and approved the recommended budget for the next two fiscal years. The budget and rates support continued work on numerous agency priorities, including capital projects critical for maintaining safe and reliable water supplies. 


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HELIX WATER DISTRICT TO HOLID HEARING ON PROPOSED RATE HIKES

By Miriam Raftery

April 12, 2023 (La Mesa) - Helix Water District will hold a hearing on proposed rate hikes and increased service charges. The hearing will be on Wednesday, April 26th at 5 p.m.in the Helix Water District board room (7811 University Ave., La Mesa). 


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HELIX WATER DISTRICT TO USE LEGAL SETTLEMENT TO REDUCE FUTURE RATES

District to hold rate hearing on April 28
 
Source: Helix Water District 
 
March 19, 2021 (La Mesa) -- Helix Water District will use $2.8 million received from the San Diego County Water Authority as part of a legal settlement with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to reduce future water rates for the district’s customers.

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PADRE DAM BOARD FREEZES WATER RATES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019

 

 

A previously approved water rate increase will not be implemented

Source: Padre Dam Municipal Water District 

October 10, 2018 (Santee) – Padre Dam Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors unanimously approved to freeze water rates for Fiscal Year 2019. The decision to freeze rates was based on an increase in water sales the previous year compared to the District’s Budget and the strong financial position of the water operation funds. 


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HELIX WATER TO HOLD HEARING ON HEFTY RATE HIKES OCT. 7

Residents' group plans meeting Sept. 30 to mobilize opposition

By Miriam Raftery

September 2, 2015 (La Mesa)—Helix Water District’s board will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, October 7 at 5 p.m. at its board room (7811 University Ave., La Mesa) to consider adopting rate hikes over the next five years.  View notice of the public hearing on proposed rate hikes.

The plan is drawing strong opposition including the Grossmont-Mount Helix Improvement Association, which is organizing a public forum on September 30 at 7 p.m. at Murdock Elementary School (4354 Conrad Drive, La Mesa).  The GMIA is also urging residents to write to Helix to register formal opposition.  The GMIA has posted a sample letter here.

Calling the five-year plan a “shock”, a letter sent to GMIA members states, “The proposed plan will permit, but not require, the District to increase rates 70% over the next five years—regardless of conditions..The character and quality of our region, as well as home values, is at stake.”


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JUDGE ORDERS MWD TO PRODUCE EVIDENCE IN RATE CASE

MWD must show whether its rates are tied to the cost of its services

May 2, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – A San Francisco Superior Court judge on Wednesday, April 24 ordered the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to produce information no later than May 10 that shows how it allocates its costs to rates or admit it does not have any evidence to support its current allocation of its costs to its rates.  The order followed a Tuesday hearing on the Water Authority’s motion to compel MWD to answer discovery and granted the Water Authority’s motion in its entirety.  Before the Court’s ruling, MWD had refused to respond to requests by the San Diego County Water Authority asking MWD to show what evidence it has to support its claims that its rates reflect its cost of providing its services.


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OTAY WATER DISTRICT SEAT 2: MITCH THOMPSON MAKES CASE FOR REELECTION

October 23, 2012 (Otay) -- Three candidates are running for Otay Water District’s seat 2. ECM sent questionnaires to all three candidates. Only the incumbent, Mitch Thompson, responded. Thompson was appointed to fill a vacancy and his answers are below. Other candidates are David Krogh, a business financial analyst, and Tracy Lopez, an immunization program manager. 


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COUNTYWIDE POLL SHOWS INCREASED SUPPORT FOR CONTINUED INVESTMENTS IN WATER SUPPLY RELIABILITY

August 27, 2012 (San Diego) -- San Diego County residents’ support for funding seawater desalination or other investments to enhance the reliability of the region’s water supplies has increased compared to last year, a new public opinion poll commissioned by the San Diego County Water Authority has found.

The poll, which surveyed 816 adult San Diego County residents in July, found:


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EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: TOP LOCAL AND STATE NEWS

 

 May 23, 2012 --  (San Diego’s East County)--East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:  
 
 
 
 
  
 
LOCAL
  • A Q&A on San Miguel’s situation
  • Tony Gwynn joins group seeking to buy Padres (10 News)
  • San Onofre future hinges on finding cause of abnormal tube wear (Sacramento Bee)
  • San Diego ranked least expensive city in state to do business (10 News)
  • La Mesa may welcome wineries and breweries (UT San Diego)
  • La Mesa Village Development (La Mesa Today)
  • No option at all! (for condo/apartment residents with multiple smart meters) (KUSI Turko Files)
  • Walmart Neighborhood Market planned for La Mesa
  • Countywide water rates could rise nearly 10% (UT San Diego)
  • Grossmont baseball coach Jim Earley quits amid parent accusations (La Mesa Patch)
  • Wounded officer asked `Is this my time?’ (UT San Diego)
STATE
  • CA Senate passes bill for self-driving cars (Los Angeles Times)
  • CA Senate passes bill that limits salaries at CSU (Sacramento Bee)
  • California Democrats balk at deeper cuts for state’s poorest residents (Sacramento Bee)
  • Purple Super Pac launched to support registered Independents (Sacramento Bee)
  • U-T: State Plans Big Changes To Testing, Instruction
 
Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.

 


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APPELLATE COURT SUMMARILY DENIES MWD WRIT PETITION TO PREVENT DISCOVERY IN WATER RATE CASE

 
April 22, 2012 (San Diego) -- California’s 1st Appellate District Court of Appeal Thursday summarily denied a writ petition by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California seeking to prevent discovery in a lawsuit filed by the San Diego County Water Authority challenging MWD’s 2011 and 2012 rates.  MWD filed the writ petition March 6, 60 days after San Francisco Superior Court Judge Richard Kramer granted a motion by the Imperial Irrigation District and the Water Authority to permit discovery in the case.

 


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WATER RATES AT STAKE: APPELLATE COURT TO REVIEW PRE-TRIAL DECISION IN WATER AUTHORITY CASE AGAINST METROPOLITAN WATER DISTRICT

 
MWD seeks to prevent discovery in case from revealing “bad facts” and “bad acts” 
March 18, 2012 (San Diego) -- The First District Court of Appeal has issued a preliminary order asking for further briefing on a request by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to prevent discovery in litigation filed by the San Diego County Water Authority challenging its 2011 and 2012 water rates. The court did not grant MWD’s request, or writ petition. It only asked the other parties in the case to set forth their positions on that request. 

 


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RATES TO RISE DESPITE WET WINTER, HELIX WATER TELLS CUSTOMERS IN PUBLIC MEETING

 

By Jeremy Los

 

July 28, 2011 – A community information meeting held by Helix Water District last week turned into a discussion of employee benefits and pensions amid public outcry over raising water rates.

 


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HELIX WATER TO HOST COMMUNITY MEETING JULY 21 ON PROPOSED RATE HIKE

July 19, 2011 (La Mesa) -- Helix Water District will hold an informational public meeting on the proposed water rate increase on July 21 from 6-7:30 p.m. at the La Mesa Community Center, 4975 Memorial Drive in La Mesa.

 


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READER’S EDITORIAL: TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION IS ALIVE AND WELL

 

By David Smyle

 

April 23, 2011 (La Mesa)--On Wednesday April 20th, the Helix Water Board on a 4-1 vote approved the two year MOU negotiated by the employees for the employees with no rate payer representation. That’s right! Mark Weston and Lisa Irvine, employees of Helix Water were appointed by the Board to represent the ratepayers’ interest in the negotiations with the employees.


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“GET USED TO IT. WE’RE GOING TO PAY MORE EACH YEAR.”

Helix Water District raises rates in contentious hearing

 

By Kristin Kjaero

August 19, 2010 (La Mesa) – “Get used to it. We’re going to pay more each year,” Helix Water District Board member John Linden told the audience, shortly before the board voted 3-2 to raise the three-tiered rate structure an average of 8% more starting in November. Last year rates increased 21+%.

 

Discussion at the rate increase hearing was lively to say the least, as tempers frayed and the public, General Manager and Board members accused one another of not being truthful and of micromanaging. The room was filled to capacity, and occasionally members of the audience called out and were gaveled back to order. A La Mesa Policeman stood in the back quietly observing.


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HELIX WATER DISTRICT TO DISCUSS 2010-11 WATER RATES & WATER BUDGETS AT FEB 17 & MARCH 17 MEETINGS

 

 

By Kristin Kjaero

 

February 14, 2010 (La Mesa) -- How will water rates change as of July 1, 2010, and will individual water budgets be imposed as part of the process?

 

The Helix Water District (HWD) Board will discuss these February 17 and March 17, 2010 respectively.

 


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FLOOD OF RATEPAYER PROTESTS PROMPTS HELIX WATER TO HOLD EMERGENCY MEETING MONDAY, APRIL 27 AT 2 PM; CRITICS CONTEND DISTRICT PLAN IS UNFAIR TO BIG FAMILIES & LARGE LOT OWNERS

 

Update April 28: Despite strong public protest, Helix Water District approved eliminating agricultural meters for 900 customers and accepted other staff recommendations. Watch for details soon.

 

By Miriam Raftery April 26, 2009 (La Mesa)—Deluged by hundreds of calls from residents irate about steep rate increases for heavy water use, and by many seeking irrigation meters to qualify for cheaper water rates, Helix Water District’s Board of Directors will convene a special meeting at 2 p.m. Monday, April 27th.

 


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