(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Alison Sandstrom

Billing dispute

City to rebate home-owner who saw $225 spike in water bill

Jul 14, 2020 | 12:48 PM

Prince Albert city council has tentatively agreed to issue a partial rebate to a home-owner who saw a $225 spike in her water bill.

While the Mayor and city administration worry the decision will set an expensive precedent for other residents to request reductions on their bills, the majority of councillors wanted to see the city offer some flexibilty and leniency in rare instances.

The East Flat home-owner wrote to council in February. Over a period of four days in October, her daily water usage had climbed to around 34 times its normal rate, amounting to what she called “an inordinate and incredible amount of water leaving [her] home.” She suggested even a leak could not account for the high volume and asked council to consider that perhaps a glitch in the new meter she recently had installed caused the alarmingly high readings.

At council’s request, city administrators reviewed the ask and at Monday night’s meeting, the department of finance brought back a report indicating leaks of that magnitude were “possible and not uncommon.” The department recommended the home-owner’s bill not be reduced.

Coun. Don Cody was one of several councillors who voiced his disapproval at the recommendation.

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“I just think it’s funny that the City is never wrong,” he told the meeting. “I can’t understand that we can never be wrong… I’m not suggesting that in all cases that you are wrong, but there are some times I think we have to have a good deep hard look at what we’re doing to our citizens.”

Cody suggested the City should compromise with the resident. Her bill was $225 more than usual and he asked the city to credit her account with half of that.

While most councillors liked Cody’s idea. Mayor Greg Dionne said granting the rebate would open the door to thousands of other home-owners to request reductions.

“You’re giving the right to 12,000 people to come to council once a year and get a reduction on their bill,” he said.

“We have a policy for a reason.”

Council is set to give the partial rebate final approval at the next council meeting on July 27.

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom