Ever wonder …
Editor: Have you ever asked yourself, if you are a resident of Boerne, why the city of Boerne is your municipal utility provider? Could there possibly be another alternative, a less costly arrangement?
Perhaps the reason has something to do with surpluses (profits if you will) due to the higher rates being charged to ratepayers vs. the actual cost of goods and services provided.
Watch during Boerne’s next budgeting process; perhaps the answer lies in the fact that each year millions of dollars are regularly transferred from the city utilities department account to the cities’ General Fund.
Could there be a plausible explanation for this; in my humble opinion there is. You see, excess funds (the profits if you will) are less likely to be readily and publicly scrutinized if the proceeds are swept into the cities’ “slush fund”; less questions being asked as the ratepayers may have less direct knowledge about the sources of funds that make up the General Fund.
The ratepayers of course have more direct knowledge about what they are paying when writing out that check for their monthly utility bill.
A new year is coming; perhaps a timely question of your city council representative would be to ask why the city of Boerne is acting as a “middleman” when it comes to providing utilities to its citizens; is this a more costly method of operation?
The residents of Boerne during a recent State of the City address were promised an administration which was going to be more transparent and accountable to its citizens; perhaps this would be a good place to start.
Just a thought.
— Robert L. Imler Boerne resident
Comment
Comments