La Habra Heights News

La Habra Heights, CA- despite being a small city of just over 5,300, has a history of city officials embroiling themselves in big time controversy. This time, two elected officials have blamed two local journalists for obstructing and delaying a controversial water wheeling agreement. An agreement that the officials say would have offset the upcoming water rate increase but which boils down to reasons that are far more complicated than what the finger pointing would lead some to believe.

The La Habra Heights County Water District (LHHCWD) board agreed last month on a plan to increase rates and fees anywhere from 31% up to 1050% over a 4-year-period.

California Proposition 218 requires that water districts notify their ratepayers of any new rate increases and that they hold a public hearing. LHHCWD plans to hold its public hearing at 6pm on June 19 at City Hall.

In a written statement, McVicar stated the planned rate increase will be in the single digits. However, based on the notice mailed to the public by LHHCWD, a ratepayer on a 1” meter will increase a total of 59% or $251.76 each year after the 4-year plan is fully implemented. Ratepayers with 6” meters will see the highest increase, a total of 131% or $10,819.56. Address label costs will be raised 1050% from $12.17 to $140. In the first year alone, 1” meter ratepayers will see an 11.98% or $51.48 increase.

In November of last year, McVicar ran for re-election on a platform that suggested that if she stayed on the board, LHHCWD would remain one of the few districts to have managed to stave off a rate increase. In strong red lettering, a campaign flyer for her re-election clearly read, “No Rate Increases for 5 Years”.

When asked why she ran on such a bold campaign, only to agree on a rate study a few months later that suggested a phased rate increase over a 4-year-period, which according to Raftelis Financial Consultants was designed to prevent “rate shock” among ratepayers, McVicar responded, “at the time we thought the water agreement would fix the issue.”

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Link to Video: Water Rate Increase: A Trust Broken

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