Antioch Water Rates Increase
ANTIOCH, Calif. (KCBS)- It's a bare bones budget in the city of Antioch, where foreclosures are partly to blame for a rise in water and sewer rates in Contra Costa County.
The rates will be going up in Antioch for the next five years and councilwoman Martha Parsons and Vice Mayor Mary Rocha says the rates had to go up, in part, due to the waves of foreclosures in the city.
"There are people who are not paying their rate. They're not taking the water, but as there's fewer people to spread the cost it does raise the cost to the city," said Parsons.
The city council recently made more than $11 million in budget reductions that left this city of more than 100 thousand people with just 50 city employees. Vice-mayor Rocha says the bad times may not be over yet.
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"It's really a tough time for all of us and no one planned for it. We couldn't foresee what was happening and I don't know that we're going to be out of it this next year. We're going to try our best", added Rocha.
The city council is looking at chopping an additional $900 thousand from its already lean budget.
