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 Online Poll
Do you support local residents of multi-unit dwellings calling on Kenora council to address high water rates in the city?
No   65     20%
Yes   267     80%
 Total Votes: 332


Comments   Add Your Own
Sue  ( December 8, 2018)
Yes, I totally support them. Keep raising our rates and some of us will have to look for a new place to live. I for on, do not want to pay for other's water, just for what I personally use.
HW  ( December 8, 2018)
Although council, in the spring, decided to charge for "phantom" water meters for Jan. 1/19, many property owners were not notified until last week. The result of these changes will be increased rents to try to recover costs (which, at current allowable rent increases of 1.8% a year, will not come close to the money that will be needed). Rents will jump when tenants move out. This will not help the housing situation, and will have a detrimental affect on people having low or fixed incomes.
MB  ( December 8, 2018)
Everybody agrees that is should be a "user pay" system. That to me means the bills should reflect the cost of providing that service. It doesn't cost the city the same to service one 36 unit apartment complex with one water line the same as 36 individual houses with 36 separate lines. The rates should reflect that, and until now they did. This is a major tax grab to solve sewer and water deficit on the backs of the poorest people in this city.
R.  ( December 8, 2018)
The City wants to charge multi unit owners based on the fiction that they each have an individual meter. They dont’t. There is no additional costs to the city to provide services to multi units, in fact, Multi unit’s are cheaper to service because of the economies of scale. This is the City trying to raise revenues.. plain and simple. It is arbitrary and unfair. It harms many people on fixed incomes and will undermine the City’s own professed goal to promote affordable housing. Very inconsistent. The bureaucracy is clearly running the politicians. Hopefully this new council is not led so easily.
TLR  ( December 8, 2018)
I find it disturbing that the City of Kenora in the late nineties lived by bylaws as depicted by By Law 168-2004 that were used by contractor and design engineers when new condo and apartment buildings were being built.
Now it appears that a member of your water dept. administration wants to change the rules once the horse has left the barn?
If the city does not install individual water meters at their expense, to ensure correct and accurate water billing, does not enhance service, does not grandfather these buildings as per Bylaw 168-2004 then this action is simply a blatant and shameful tax grab!
To make matters worse, council has been found to either not know or not care about this issue and has blatantly followed the lead of the city Administrator who has provided no study or rationale for this ill conceived change!
The city states they want a fair playing field and atmosphere of fairness!
Dare I say for whom? Certainly not for pensioners and the elderly who live within a fixed income and do not have the income of the city Administrator who proposes this rate increase.
Definitely not a great way for a new council and Mayor to start their term as representatives of their city residents?






len cleland  ( December 8, 2018)
We do not think it is fair for four or more rental units to pay for water meters and two or three units do not pay. Many rental units with 2 or 3 suites charge more than some with five suites. I think that the council did not spend enough time talking to rental owners before they passed water meters.
dl  ( December 8, 2018)
As long as it's somebody else paying the higher, not me, I am fine with it.n
Robert  ( December 8, 2018)
I am a resident in a multi unit building and we pay 100% of the water we use. Putting in additional meters that provide no value to the city or the resident is ridiculous. Not putting in meters but still charging for them is even worse! Any increase makes Kenora very uncompetitive.
LK  ( December 8, 2018)
What it is going to do is make rents go up for tenants of multi unit buildings. When fully implemented, it will be an Extra $85/month for no extra services. Everyone pays for usage, in fact, my water rates on my personal home have tripled in the last 10 years. This money grab will do nothing to help the 'housing crisis' that the city says we have, just increase the cost of living for those that can almost not afford it.
Gman  ( December 8, 2018)
A 1,200% increase is nothing but a cash grab by the city! It will hurt seniors and low income renters when rents sky rocket to pay for the ridiculous increase. No developer will plan to build in our town if this stands as they won't trust the town council not to do it again.

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