In its regular monthly meeting before a packed council chamber Thursday, January 2, the Natchez Village Council voted 2 to 1 to deny ordinance 012-2024, a sewer rate increase of either $17.50 or $20.00 On both the $20.00 and $17.50 increase, councilmembers Sarpy and Hoover voted no while councilwoman Johnson voted yes. Natchez Mayor Patsy Ward Hoover went on record after the meeting stating she will veto the ordinance’s denial within the 10 days allowed by law.
The meeting featured two special guests. Thomas David of Pan American Engineers gave an update of the village’s drainage project, paid for by a grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and state funding.
Ken Terry of the Louisiana Rural Water Association spoke to the main issue of the evening, the need for the village’s sewer system to be self-sustaining financially in order to be able to both compete for grants and to retain grant funds already won. He stated the $17.50 per month increase was the “bare minimum” needed to keep the system financially solvent and that the proposed $20.00 per month increase was the ideal amount.
The Natchez residents present at the meeting were generally supportive of the need for an increase, albeit with a need to collect money due from the large portion of customers who are not paying their sewer bills (According to Mayor Hoover, of the approximately 200 sewer system customers in the village, only around 140 are current with their bills.)
This prior Natchitoches Parish Journal article on the special called meeting delves into the background behind the situation:
Water, Sewerage rate increase in Natchez-Ordinance introduced at Special Called meeting
