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Sewer fee increase could end up in courtroom

Champion trustees oppose rate increase for sewage treatment

CHAMPION — Township trustees Saturday approved spending up to $2,500 in anticipation of filing a stay in court against Trumbull County commissioners to oppose the negotiations that led to a rate increase for sewage treatment.

Rex Fee, trustee chairman, said the stay would oppose what he is calling a 145 percent increase to the bulk rate — a 75 percent increase to the inside city rate — paid by members of the Metropolitan Sewer District. He said he believes the percent is not based on concrete numbers.

A projection of forthcoming rates for the district from the county shows a 45 percent increase starting in June 2019 with successive 10 percent increases through 2022, Fee wrote in a letter to commissioners outlining objections to the agreement.

Fee, who for three decades worked for the Trumbull County Sanitary Engineer’s Office, said he understands the need for a rate increase, but the negotiated percentage does not accurately reflect the county’s share of sewage treatment and operation maintenance.

“The main thing is we want this (number) revisited and to have it documented on how they came to this increase,” said Fee.

Lordstown Mayor Arno Hill, who like Fee has been outspoken in his opposition to the new agreement, said when he asked commissioners Wednesday how they arrived at the figure, they weren’t able to give him a good answer.

Commissioner Frank Fuda said the agreement was reached after seven hours of mediated negotiations, following eight months of unsuccessful bargaining. He said the city was initially asking for 150 percent of the inside rate, and brought it down to 90 percent plus additional fees during the day of negotiations.

“When I told the magistrate that we didn’t feel that was fair to everybody, he went back to the city of Warren, talked to them and that’s when they came back with the amount of 75 percent of the inside rate,” Fuda said.

That amounts to $3.48 per 1,000 gallons. The previous price was $1.42 per 1,000 gallons.

Fuda said he did not know how the city came up with those numbers, but negotiations are finished. Fuda said now commissioners are focused on how and who will pay for the increase and the backpay owed to the city from the months of negotiations.

Hill said he plans to talk with members of Lordstown council to see if they are willing to pass a resolution similar to that passed by the Champion trustees. He said filing at stay would cost a couple thousand dollars, and if council is willing to commit, he would be supportive.

“I feel we should be a part of the negotiating process … it’s our residents we’re trying to look out for,” said Hill.

Hill did not have a time frame in which council might take such an action, but said the next regularly scheduled meeting is May 6.

Fee said the issue extends past Champion and Lordstown, and he is hopeful that other affected townships will join them.

According to Fee, the Metropolitan Sewer District also includes customers in Hubbard, Liberty, Weathersfield, Newton Falls and Bazetta.

avugrincic@tribtoday.com

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