Find other way to raise money

I'm sorry but it just works me up every year when Far West Water and Sewer wants to be bailed out by raising their rates. I read their statement from the water department and they say that without this increase they will default on their loans.

Well, if I was upside down in my debt I would by the numbers do this: go to your loan holders for help or look for other help, maybe from the City of Yuma.

The last thing I would do is try to put the arm on my customers that only use my service five or six months a year and make them get up in arms to where they hope you go broke so they can gamble on the new owners.

Or maybe Far West could get their increase in rates, maybe as large as the wanted 188 percent, like a lot of cities do by basing the sewer rate on the amount of water usage each month.

The people that are not here in the summer don't have large and year-round sewer bills and the people that are here and using the service will pay. This does work. This way nobody feels they are paying the whole load.

Far West may have to bite the bullet and make operational changes for a year or so to do this, but it would be better than having to try and fail for an increase each year with 100 percent opposition.

I am not saying anything bad about the management of Far West but their problems should have been foreseen and put to bed years ago.

John Emerson
Yuma