FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) –  After a polarizing city utilities vote that passed with a vote of 6-3 to raise water rates by roughly $2 a year over the next 5 years, 1 of only 3 no’s, Russ Jehl, joins Kayla to share his stance.

These new bonds are part of a 5-year plan for major water and sewer improvements across the city. The new bonds push the total outstanding bond debt to nearly 1 million.

Kayla asks Jehl what his reasons were for not being able to support the rising rates. He replied that the answer was straightforward, and he stated that the committee had lost sight of its mission.

Jehl goes on to call city utilities a regional monopoly.

He says most problems and calls he fields per day are about city utilities, and he often steps in to be the voice of previously ignored constituents. Even then, it’s a grueling process to get a timely response from city utilities.

Shortly after Kayla thanked Jehl for joining us on the air, she said hello to the Head of City Utilities, Kumar Menon. Menon was a big supporter of raising rates, saying it would be beneficial to use the funds to fix broken and worn put systems and to repair several decades of shoddy work.

“We don’t truly have any other option. What do we do when there is only one supplier?” Menon begins with the point Jehl made about Fort Wayne being a regional monopoly.

“We were named a regional utility by the EPA back in the 1970s. We’ve been serving outside of the city limits since the 1960s. So we’ve always been a regional utility, but because a regional monopoly doesn’t make sense because there are other utilities serving their customers locally in Huntertown.” Menon counters.

The new increase in rates means about $12 extra per year for the average family of 4.