The water conservation rebate program in Guelph represents just one more
example where city hall has extended itself beyond its mandate and spent beyond
its means.
Under normal circumstances, when a business has less demand for its product
it cuts back staff and looks to reduce costs. Not in Guelph. We add to staff and
the long-term financial burden that comes with it.
So, why are water bills going up? For starters, past Guelph councils decided
to bribe us with our money to get us to reduce water consumption. Rebates were
handed out for installing water saving appliances in our homes. Apparently,
conserving to reduce our water bills wasn’t incentive enough.
Some might have no problem with a rebate – that it’s free money from the
city. The trouble is, the cash isn’t free. It’s paid for by us as part of our
water bills. Last year alone, water department rebates cost more than $800,000.
Now, with people using less water, Guelph’s waterworks department has had
less revenue to keep up with administration costs. So, water bills are going up
again. This year, the city agreed to increase water bills by 10 per cent in part
to make up for the loss of revenue due to conservation.
It gets stranger. Now, the water department wants to add more full-time staff
during a period of falling demand. It seems there are not enough staffers to
administer the municipality’s rebate program. More workers are now needed to
make sure the water-saving devices are installed as claimed.
Helping the environment in Guelph costs us. We conserve to reduce water bills
and it goes up anyway. Then, property taxes rise to pay for salaries and
benefits of the new inspectors.
To be fair, the water department has indicated that the conservation program
saves the city more than $130,000 annually and delays eventual infrastructure
upgrades. These savings, however, are well shy of the annual cost of the
conservation program. The campaign should be scaled back. End the rebates in
order for costs to fall in line with projected savings. Otherwise, it’s just
another costly expenditure that hurts Guelph’s fixed income earners the most by
adding to our perennial tax and water rate increases.
Of course, many groups who profit from the rebate program want it to continue
and even expand. But this is just self-interest at play from these groups who
profit from the extra business they gain from customers who get rebates for
using their goods and services.
Perhaps the city should just let market forces do their good work and stop
using our money to push an environmental agenda. Don’t get me wrong here. With a
young family, I care deeply about the environment and conservation. But the cost
of hydro alone should be the lever used to motivate people to conserve.
What’s most troubling with this misguided plan is its potential unintended
consequences. Many frustrated citizens have made a concerted effort to reduce
their water consumption to protect the environment, and their wallets. I am sure
many are wondering about the point of their hard work. I hope they continue to
conserve. This plan has good intentions, but it fails in practice. Giving
rebates for something people were going to do anyway is just a poor use of
funds.
Running a municipality isn’t glamorous work. Civic officials have mandate is
to effectively administer the programs the province has handed on down. The work
demands sound financial management and the avoiding of excessive spending. In
Guelph, the municipality overspends on initiatives outside of its mandate and
then cuts services during the summer in order to cover up budget shortfalls
caused by poor decision making.
Perhaps some on city council should consider other careers if making sure the
buses run on time and the garbage is collected each week, doesn’t appeal to
their greater sense of moral purpose.
Fighting for a worthy cause is noble. But putting the city in a financial
hole to do so is not.