Residents enraged, water rates skyrocket, Benton mayor cites Bossier as the reason

BENTON PARISH, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Water is free if you get it yourself. That was the strong message the mayor of Benton delivered at the beginning of the public hearing meeting regarding rising water rates.

Mayor James Friday read a five-paragraph monologue he says is from a 20-year Louisiana water services professional to help drive home his message about water costs.

The 5-part speech highlighted that residents are more than welcome to scoop water from a river or gather rainwater with a bucket on their roof, but if they want it treated and usable, there is a cost associated with that.

This meeting was highly anticipated, as Benton residents had first begun airing their concerns online.

One Facebook user wrote, “How much more do yall want? You’re killing us. Especially those of us on fixed incomes. Our pay never increases. You just take take take.”

Other posts encouraging residents to attend the upcoming public hearing meeting racking up comments and shares from concerned citizens.

The energy carried over into the public meeting, where residents lined up to voice complaints about several recent water price increases.

When questioned about whether the city attempts to negotiate with Bossier, the mayor maintains that they have tried but are not permitted to make any arrangements, as they have no bargaining tools.

“The thing is, what they are charging us we are just passing on it is as simple as that,” he continues. “If we were producers of tires or selling cars, we would have some type of advantage, but we do not have any advantage over this situation.”

Another resident questions how the rate is already determined, if the issue was to be voted on.

“If this issue was supposed to be voted on in August, why have we been receiving messages in the mail for three months stating there would be an increase?”

The residents were not alone in their concerns; council members from District 1 and District 2 both questioned if the town was making the correct financial decisions.

Councilwoman Tiffany Manning of District 2 says they were promised by the mayor that increases would be every few years. She also challenges the notion that Benton is required to raise their rates every time Bossier does, as Bossier has had many increases over the years and Benton was unaffected in the past.

Manning inquired about the financial justification used to determine the rates, as the council was uninformed and not involved in the decision, unlike in the past, when they were directly involved in picking the rate.

The mayor says the clerk and the water department decided the rates this time. The clerk firmly stated that the chosen cost is the exact cost they received from Bossier.

A former councilman assured residents that they had explored options in the past and even considered purchasing a water system.

He recalls comparing the costs of investing in their own water system to purchasing from the neighboring city, it was decided that it would be better to purchase.

Additionally, the council emphasizes that this is only the third increase the city has experienced in nearly 20 years, underscoring its commitment to keeping rates low for citizens.

Maintaining that the increases are necessary to keep the city from collapsing and losing valuable resources.

The city posted on their official webpage the following statement “The Town of Benton purchases water from Bossier City. Bossier City charges the Town one and a half times their outside customer water rate per 1000 gallons. Three months ago, Bossier City notified the town that the rate they are charging the town will be increased, effective August 1. The Ordinance at the August meeting is only for the amount that Bossier City increased for the Town. There is no additional increase above what Bossier passed to the town. The Town has no control over what Bossier City charges for water.”

The town of Benton says it expects to have another increase in January.

For those who missed the meeting the town posted the agenda online, and an attendee recorded the entire session and posted it online to Facebook.

We have reached out to Bossier City for comment and are waiting for a response.