Residents protest Sutherlin water vote
By Glen Beeby KPIC NewsSUTHERLIN, Ore. -- People in the City of Sutherlin have until 8:00 p.m. Tuesday to get their ballots in to decide on new water rates, but not every water customer will get to vote. Protesters were outside of Sutherlin City Hall Monday, voicing their anger about having to take city water but not getting to vote on rate increases because they live outside the city limits. County resident Elizabeth Brewer said, "It would be a minimum of $23.50 and then a price per gallon, so my bill could pretty much double. It would go up higher than it is now." Brewer says she has tried to contact the city several times to get answers but her calls have not been returned. "It's not a fair representation if only those groups, those people in the city limits get to vote for it. There are a lot of people outside in the county, mostly single residences that have to pay for water, but we don't have a say. What's mostly inside the city are these large groups." City Manager Robb Corbett says this is the first that he has herd about the issue. He told KPIC that he agrees people who have to pay for city water should get to vote, but the recently passed charter amendment says it has to be a municipal election, which only includes city residents. Corbett says people can still come to city council meetings, and if voters decide to put rate increase up to the council everyone will have a say even if they don't live in the city limits. |
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