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Politics & Government

Economy Affects Water District's New Budget

The Eastern Municpal Water District Board adopts its annual operating budget.

The Eastern Municipal Water District new budget is only 1 percent bigger than last years, despite fewer new water and sewer connections, decreased income and declining property taxes -- which make up 10 percent of its total revenue.

The district passed its $219 million operating budget during a meeting on Wednesday.

The new budget reflects a marginal increase from last year’s budget, said the district's president, Joe Kuebler.

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Low interest rates and the economy are major factors in the slight increase, Kuebler said.

“Through sometimes painful, improvements to operational efficiencies, we are able to keep the operating budget increase below inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index of 3.1 percent,” he stated in a press release.

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The district continues to be mindful of maintaining full customer service in light of reducing costs for its fiscal year beginning July 1, wrote spokesperson Allan Freetage in an emailed statement.

Some ways the district cut back on costs includes increased energy efficiency, changes in fleet operations, deferring purchases when possible and staffing level reductions through attrition. They also drained some reserve funds to avoid hiking the consumers' prices, Freetage said.

A diverse water portfolio helps to curb the impact of increasing imported water costs. Local resources include groundwater, desalination of brackish water, and the ability to take imported water and treat it less expensively than buying it directly from Metropolitan Water District, according to Freetage.

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