Residents in Pleasanton, CA, are facing a tough situation, as the City of Pleasanton plans to increase water rates at the same time that the Dublin San Ramon Services District (DSRSD) raises regional sewer rates in Pleasanton, Dublin, and South San Ramon, which includes Windemere and Gale Ranch. The Pleasanton water rate increase comes at a time when tax revenues have decreased and the City of Pleasanton can no longer afford to subsidize water rates for residents and businesses. Facing a similar budget crunch, DSRSD also needs to raise sewer rates for the Region in order to fund projected future cost increases.

Pleasanton Mayor Jennifer Hosterman was recently quoted saying that “DSRSD’s 18 percent would just be a whopper of a fee to the people of Pleasanton.” Since the DSRSD increase only applies to the sewer rates, Hosterman’s quote and the PR campaign from Pleasanton City Hall could mislead rate payers into thinking that DSRSD is responsible for Pleasanton’s entire water bill increase, when the expected increase is due in large part to the fact that Pleasanton can no longer afford the subsidy that has kept Zone 7 water rates artificially low for the past nine years. This intentional and purposeful intermingling of the water and sewer rate increases appears to be part of a strategy to provide political cover for Pleasanton City Hall.

“Pleasanton is trying to make the DSRSD their whipping boy,” noted DSRSD Board President Jeffrey Hansen, in reference to the political “smoke screen” Pleasanton is using to divert attention away from the water rate increases that Pleasanton will be levying on residents and businesses.

Pleasanton has asked DSRSD to postpone the sewer rate increases temporarily for a few reasons. The delay will allow the City of Pleasanton to create a “pass through” ordinance to educate Pleasanton residents that DSRSD sets sewer rates and to streamline the “Prop 218″ noticing process for future rate changes. If Pleasanton were to delay the approval of the rate increase, DSRSD could potentially miss the deadline to submit the new sewer rates to Alameda County for collection on property tax notices.

The City of Pleasanton and DSRSD are planning to hold workshops in May and June to discuss water bill rates with all the stakeholders. DSRSD plans to send notices to Pleasanton residents about the sewer rate increases on July 21, 2010.

Please contact DSRSD at (925)828-0515 for more information.