Democrats Blast RVSA Fees

David Amlen and Richard Huber, the Democratic candidates for Springfield's Township Committee, have released a fact sheet about the recent change to Springfield's collection of RVSA fees, arguing the changes are costly and unfair.

Springfield Mayor Ziad Shehady, a Republican, has decried the list for what he terms misleading information.

Earlier this year, the Township Committee voted to charge residents Rahway Valley Sewerage Authority fees as a utility instead of as a part of the overall property tax bill. Unlike with the previous billing method, non-profit organizations, religious institutions and apartment buildings are responsible for paying the fee. The utility carries a $250 minimum charge, and increases with usage over 48,000 gallons. Sewerage use is measured by water intake.

Residents received their first bills for the utility last month; after a recent extension, payments are due Sept. 20.

The fact list blasts the new payment structure, saying it is unfair and rife with hidden costs.

They criticize the fee assessment for being based on water usage and note that the fee will be charged even if the water does not go into the sewer system. They blast the $250 minimum charge, giving a hypothetical example of a senior, living alone, paying the same amount as a small family. They also note that the senior tax freeze does not apply to the RVSA payments.

The charge, the list says, is not tax deductible and that interest at rates as high as 18 percent will be charged if not paid within 10 day, and that the town could put liens on houses of people who don't pay the bill.

The Democrats that the payment structure, touted by Shehady and Finance Committee Chair Jerry Fernandez as a great savings for the town, does little to offset expenditures and could lead to increased future costs to residents. The list says that with the new charge, which subtracts the RVSA cost from the overall property bill, the overall property tax bill still increased by about seven percent.

The Democrats warn that in 2011, the RVSA cost for Springfield will increase by at least 17 percent that could increase the minimum bill to $300. In addition; the Democrats say that in 2011 the Board of Education will be responsible for paying the sewer fee, and the cost would have to be paid by Springfield taxpayers.

Shehady decried the list as a politically motivated stunt rife with inaccuracies.

"They're not giving the full picture," Shehady said. He noted that throughout the fact sheet, they refer to the fee structure as a tax and stressed that under the new payment structure the fee is charges as a utility. He acknowledged that the charge is not tax deductible and that it is not limited by the state's senior tax freeze, he said the point were not relevant, as neither would be true of any utility.

Shehady said the new system is actually more fair than collecting the RVSA fee based on property tax assessments, and asserted that the formula used to determine average water use took into account water that did not go into the sewer system. He added that residents could install meters to measure their sewerage output if they wanted to contest the township's sewerage determination.

He said residents could easily control costs. According to sewer use records, sewerage use spikes after rains, indicating that residents are improperly disposing of their wastewater.

"Why do you have overflow," he asked. "It's because hook their sum pumps illegally up to their sewer. It should go into storm drains."

He challenged the Democrat's assertion that the BOE would be charged for sewerage use in 2011, saying the Township Committee had yet to vote on such a measure. Similarly, he rejected the prediction of a fee increase as unfounded speculation.

"I sincerely doubt it's going to be $300," he said.