No relief from tap-in fees

Well, big surprise, a Republican-sponsored bill to stop townships from gouging their sewer customers got buried in the Democratic-controlled state Senate. Dear Sen. James Clayborne, D-Belleville, apparently led the charge to block it.

This bill targeted Caseyville Township and its exorbitant tap-in fees. Without the bill, the township will be allowed to continue to extort commercial developers. They will either have to pay $2,000 for each plumbing fixture – just think about how many fixtures each hotel or office needs – or else locate elsewhere. There is no other alternative.

One thing we won’t let Caseyville Township get away with is its outlandish claim that if this bill had passed, its sewer rates would have had to double or triple.

The township collects far beyond its needs. It has a $7.4 million surplus in its tap-in fee account because of its excessive charges. That’s more than four years worth of its yearly debt service payments. Beyond that, though, the township certified to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency - twice - that its monthly sewer fees alone were enough to repay the costs of the sewer plant upgrade.

Thanks, Democrats, for ensuring that this costly craziness continues.

This story was originally published June 2, 2015 at 9:40 PM with the headline "No relief from tap-in fees."