Subsidize? That is comical! It was a bill to force JC to stop breaking the law and give fair and equitable sewer and water rates.

Rep Jones is the one who has no idea what she is talking about! Suggesting a tax increase is comical! It's also illegal! You can not raise taxes to cover water and sewer bills! It is against the law, they must operate as as self-sufficient entities.

T.C.A. 7-34-115 Section (a) which states, “Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law to the contrary, as a matter of public policy, municipal utility systems shall be operated on sound business principles as self-sufficient entities. User charges, rates and fees shall reflect the actual cost of providing the services rendered. No public works shall operate for gain or profit or as a source of revenue to a governmental entity, but shall operate for the use and benefit of the consumers served by such public works and for the improvement of the health and safety of the inhabitants of the area served.”

So he asked for outside city residents to have fair water and equitable sewer rates that reflect actual cost of providing services? He asked The City of Johnson City to follow current law which they are clearly violating?

Wow! That’s one hell of a good reason to vote for him!

By law, whether you live inside the City or outside the City does not matter as far as rates are concerned. A utility rate differential must be justified. Legally, you cannot use the city boundary as a method for establishing a differential, only the actual cost of providing services should be considered.

The City currently violates law by using The City boundary as the means for establishing rate differentials and discriminates against a class of citizens known as, “outside city residents.” These residents are paying $160 a month water and sewer bills!

By law, The City of Johnson City must justify the expense with a uniform system of bookkeeping to record all financial activates of all funds (T.C.A.9-2-102). Johnson City should be able to easily identify the expense for servicing Piney Flats and other, “outside city residents” base their rate differential on that expense.
Instead of having separate books for each town they service showing the, “actual” expense, the water and sewer department has one (1) one P&L in which all of the funds are commingled. With this accounting and expense tracking methodology it is clear that The City cannot justify rates through actual expenses for each town they service. If the revenue, bonds, grants, expenses, and reserve funds are co-mingled, then by law everyone on the system should have the same rate.

I would suggest you review and reference T.C.A. 7-34-115 Section (a) which states, “Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law to the contrary, as a matter of public policy, municipal utility systems shall be operated on sound business principles as self-sufficient entities. User charges, rates and fees shall reflect the actual cost of providing the services rendered. No public works shall operate for gain or profit or as a source of revenue to a governmental entity, but shall operate for the use and benefit of the consumers served by such public works and for the improvement of the health and safety of the inhabitants of the area served.”

The City of Johnson City doesn’t just rip off Piney Flats, they price gouge everyone in Gray, Jonesborough or anyone who is an, “outside city resident”

I’m glad we have a legislator who will finally stand up and fight for what’s right!