'Where's everyone's money going?': At packed meeting, Theresa board approves 122% water rate increase

 

THERESA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- During a special meeting that occasionally got tense with a standing-room only gathering, Theresa officials approved a plan to raise property owners' water bills by 122% over the next two years.

Board members said the dramatic increase was necessary because previous village leaders put off overdue water pipe replacements and a smaller rate hike would have jeopardized loans Theresa had secured through the state.

Inside the meeting room, there were about 30 chairs set up for members of the public. More than 70 residents filled the room, with many standing against the walls or listening from out in the hallway.

Village Board President Jody Steger allowed for about one hour of public comments before moving on to the vote, which board members passed five to two. That public comment was universally opposed to the increase, which will mean a resident once paying $100 per month will now be paying a monthly water bill of $222 by the summer of 2025.

"I blame it on past boards. I blame it on neglect," board member Jim Polster said after the meeting. "It's easy to put fresh blacktop down, to plant trees, but it doesn't take care of the infrastructure underneath."

Widmer's Cheese Cellars, which is perhaps the best-known business in this Dodge County community of about 1,250 people, estimated their water bills will increase from $16,000 per year to $36,000.

"That's money we could potentially be using for employees or equipment," Joey Widmer, the cheese maker's vice president of operations, said before the vote. "Or just, you know, any part of our process."

Widmer said there was no way around using a substantial amount of water every year.

"Water is a part of the cheese making process, itself," he said. "And we also do a lot of cleaning and sanitization, which is like 75% of the cheese making process, is cleaning and sanitizing."

Widmer said the rate hike wouldn't jeopardize the business, but it would make future investments more challenging. He did not dispute that infrastructure upgrades were necessary. After all, there was a water main break outside the business Sunday night, which village officials attributed to outside piping.

During the meeting, one resident after another questioned whether there were any alternatives to such a sharp rate increase.

Steger said the village had applied for grants where applicable, but it was not successful in securing them.

As for why the village couldn't spread out the increase over several years, Steger said the water utility has been operating at a deficit, and if it didn't restore a balance quickly, it would risk losing low-interest loans it secured through the state Department of Natural Resources.

When asked about a surplus the utility is projected to have after the rate increase takes full effect, neither Steger nor Polster had a specific response as to where that money would go.

Polster, who chairs the board's public works committee, said it was impossible to know which future costs the village might incur. He added the additional dollars would not be enough to cover the cost of replacing all of Theresa's outdated water lines.

"This rate increase will help us to reach that goal, but things aren't gonna get fixed overnight," he said.

Polster, who owns a bar in town, said he understood residents' frustration because he would also be feeling the sting from much costlier water bills.

He insisted Monday's vote was the least harmful option for the village's overall health. However, most of the people who filled the village hall Monday were not satisfied with the answers they heard.

"I'm also a consumer and have a business in town," Polster said. "And my water bill is going up $2,600 a year. That's a huge expense."