Orange County Sanitation District Set to Raise Rates
Posted by Dominus on December 28, 2012
On December 12, 2012, the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) board of directors directed staff to prepare Proposition 218 notifications to prepare for the process of raising sewage fees for the next eight years. The vote was not unanimous.
Staff is recommending a 4.8% increase for fiscal year 2013-2014 and an increase of 2.4% annually for the next seven years.
The proposed rate increase will come before the board again on February 27 with a public hearing scheduled for March 27.
Unless there is major opposition from the public, the fee/rate increase is expected to sail through. OCSD provides sewage services to more than 2.5 million residents in the county.
It takes a 2/3 majority of the board to raise rates.
OC Political 
Cynthia Ward said
You mention the vote was not unanimous, can you please share who voted for and who voted against the raise? Also did they give specific reasons for the hike?
Dominus said
The County of Orange voted ‘No’. The cities of La Palma, Orange, and Midway City Sanitary District abstained from voting.
Steevo said
OK, “Prop 218”, get ready for the big scam.
Prop 218 was the “right to vote on taxes” law.
The way it works is they mail you a postcard. If you don’t send a protest letter at your expense, the postcard constitutes a yes vote! This is completely backwards from how this should be, they should have to get your affirmative approval to raise your rates, but no, prop 218 (promoted by HJTA years ago) gave them this ridiculous method to cheat us.
BTW, HJTA is pretty sensitive about any criticism about this scam. This should be changed. It’s just not right.
Steevo said
Is anyone concerned that mailing a postcard constitutes a yes on their rate increase vote?
Is it really necessary for this agency to actually mail those postcards?
Could they save postage by only mailing 49% of them, and throwing the rest away?
After all, they aren’t mailed certified. There’s no record of whether they mailed you one or not, no record that you received it, no record at all.
Wouldn’t be able to win the “election” if too many people responded, right?
So by throwing out 51% of them they are assured of winning their election since the postcards they never actually mailed are all yes votes!
Now that’s a way to save government waste!
This should all be stopped. It stinks to high heaven.
watchdog said
Isn’t that clown Troy Edgar from the tiny City of Los Alamitos that tried to run for 72nd AD, yes that is correct,Los Alamitos is an Orange County city! the CHAIRMAN of this thing!
They call him TAXIN” TROY EDGAR,he was a DEMOCRAT until he decided to run for public office.
Although he got slaughtered in his failed Assembly bid he is still on that City Council!
You have to hold a Council seat to sit on the OCSD board!
Rumor has it that he is slated to be recalled from that position for his backhanded support of raising fees and taxes in this little city.
Let’s send a message to all of these board members, Let these people know that this will not be tolerated!
Recall any of them that vote for this from their respective Council seats.