Water runoff fee hike another drain on taxpayers

I read the other day that the Salisbury City Council voted to increase the homeowner’s water runoff fee. It wasn’t a large increase; however, it made me think about the concept of water runoff fees for homeowners.

My house is not built in the middle of a concrete parking lot. I have suburbs and grass around my house! When it rains my plants and lawn gobble up the water. Very little, if any, water runs into the city sewer system.

I have neighbors who have lawn watering systems that operate every day. Maybe their water is not all absorbed by the lawn. Do the folks with watering systems pay more per month than those who depend on nature?

Do people with big houses pay more than folks with small houses? I think that businesses pay based on square footage. Shouldn’t it be the same for homeowners?

I’m thinking about putting water barrels at the corners of my house so that I can save that precious liquid that falls from the sky, and use it to water my flowers. Can someone tell me where I apply for a water run-off exemption?

And by the way, do I get a rebate for the month on May …. when there wasn’t any rain?

I always like to be a part of the solution rather than just a complainer. If the city council is having problems with the budget, maybe it is time to trim some of the extravagant spending.

It is time to stop going to the Salisbury homeowners with fee increases every time the budget looks tight. I don’t think I am alone when I say … enough is enough!

— Karen Lilly-Bowyer

Salisbury