Far West customers organize over sewer rate hike

  Some Far West customers are organizing against a proposed sewer rate increase of more than 200 percent more over the next three years.

  Organizers are circulating a petition to the Arizona Corporation Commission to show solidarity in opposition to the increases.

  Spilling out into the driveway, 98 Far West customers packed into Denver Wheeler's garage in the Vista Del Sol neighborhood for a community meeting Tuesday afternoon. The crowd listened as organizers Wheeler and Carl Bailey encouraged everyone to gather signatures for the petition.

  They passed out copies of the petition and organized residents by streets. Organizers said they wanted to make sure they covered every street in the Vista Del Sol neighborhood and they hope to have 6,000 signatures within two weeks.

  They also passed out a letter that customers can send to the ACC that opposes the rate increase.  Organizers said they'd also like to petition the city to receive sewer services because they're in city limits and already receive other city services.

  Wheeler said many customers can't afford the rate increase, especially people who own more than one lot or are on a fixed income.

  He said his sewer bill is $21.75 now.

  With a first increase of 150 percent, he'd pay almost $55.

  Wheeler said they've had enough.

 "We've had it with this Far West," Wheeler said.

 Richard Schoon, an Illinois resident who spends four months out of the year in Yuma, said he could understand raising rates if they were getting something out of it, but he said customers aren't receiving any additional services.

  "They're not offering a single, solitary thing," Schoon said.

  Yuma resident Rosanna Trickett said residents in the area are already on city services for everything, why not sewer? She said the situation and rate hikes are "smelly."

  Bailey, a property owner and year-round resident, said they'll start as early as today to help enlist other Far West customers in the area to sign the petition and send letters. Their next stop: the Foothills.

  "I can't imagine anyone that's serviced by these people who would not sign it," Bailey said.

  The ACC will hold a public comment meeting March 5 at the Sunrise Elementary School cafeteria, located at at 9943 E. 28th St. The meeting starts at 6 p.m.