On May 15, voters in Nampa will vote on a bond to update how the city’s waste water gets treated. The $165 million bond will go toward updates to Nampa’s wastewater treatment facility, mandated under the Clean Water Act.
According to city communications manager Amy Bowman, the bond is unlike others often put before voters:
“In this situation, the project is happening – so voting ‘no’ does not mean the project goes away," says Bowman. "Voting ‘no’ means a 93 percent increase in your rates in October.”
So it’s not a question of if the updates will happen, but rather how much it will cost sewer customers – and when they’ll be charged. If the bond is voted down, Bowman says people will see a significant rate hike in their sewer bill beginning in October – but if the bond goes through, rates will go up by about 17 percent in the fall and each subsequent year until 2025.
“We’re also really sensitive to senior citizens, those on fixed incomes that will be impacted by these changes.”
Bowman says the city is not advocating a yes or no vote, but wants voters to know their options before they make a decision in May.
Find reporter Frankie Barnhill on Twitter @FABarnhill
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