Following are press releases sent by the campaigns of those running for elected office in our area. Election Day is Nov. 4.
MELROSE – State Senator Jason Lewis highlighted a City of Melrose official memo showing that Alderman-at-Large Monica Medeiros’ plan for changing MWRA rates would more than double the percentage increase in water and sewer rates for many households in Melrose, from 7 percent to well over 16 percent.
(Medeiros is the Republican running against Lewis for the Senate’s Fifth Middlesex District seat.)
The memo was drafted following Medeiros’ failed effort to move the City of Melrose from its current tiered structure to a flat rate system for paying for water and sewer usage through the MWRA.
“According to the City of Melrose’s official analysis, Alderman Medeiros’ plan to change MWRA rates would actually lead to a significant cost increase for many ratepayers,” noted Lewis. “Although Alderman Medeiros claims to want to limit water and sewer bill increases, those claims ring hollow when we take a look at the real impact of her plan.”
At the May 19, 2014, meeting of the Melrose Board of Aldermen, Monica Medeiros made two motions to shift the city’s water and sewer rates from its current tiered structure to a flat rate system. Both motions failed for lack of any other member of the Melrose Board of Aldermen being willing to second either motion.
During that meeting, Alderman Peter Mortimer inquired of Medeiros what her proposed flat rate would be. Medeiros indicated that she had not done the necessary analysis to determine how shifting the city to a flat rate system would impact ratepayers and that she did not expect her colleagues on the Board of Alderman to go along with her plan.
Shortly thereafter, City of Melrose Financial Analyst Donna Cardillo produced a memo for Melrose Board of Aldermen President Donald Conn, dated May 22, 2014, with the subject “Straight Rate vs. Tiered Rate Structure.” The memo outlined the impact that Medeiros’ plan would have on MWRA rates for Melrose ratepayers, stating, “… going back to a straight [flat] rate structure would put the burden back on to the majority of the homeowners, those using up to 2,500 cubic feet, eliminating the relief provided by the new tiered rate structure.”
The memo noted further, “The Impact Analysis shows the average homeowner would incur a 16.61 percent increase using the straight [flat] rate method, as opposed to a 7.02 percent increase using the recently passed FY 2015 tiered rate structure.”
According to the Lewis’ campaign release, “In other words, Alderman Medeiros’ plan for MWRA rates would mean a rate increase of more than double for many homeowners, thereby harming rather than helping the budgets of Melrose families and seniors.”
