Dear Editor:
I received a utilities bill from the City for my August usage. $1,096.84! That’s up from $727.77 in July, which was also outrageous. I called the utilities department several times the week of 16 September, left a message and received no response.
I cannot pay this bill, not now, not ever. After 30 years of teaching our little ones in the Healdsburg Unified School District, I retired in 2015. I receive $4,754.74 from the California State Teachers’ Retirement System and $516.82 from Social Security monthly. I live alone in the 1923 house that my parents purchased 76 years ago in the historic overlay.
Despite the drought being over, I continue to use many of the saving strategies from that time:
- Handwater the yard in the am and/or pm, lightly
- Always run only full loads in the washers
- Fewer showers or baths
- Charge my Tesla at a supercharger in Windsor
- I do require medical equipment at night …
In August of 2024 I used nine units more water than August of 2023. This was, of course, one of the hottest summers we’ve had. Those nine units extra cost an extra $471.51 this year. My bill in August 2023 was $625.33, compared to $1,096.84 this year. That’s pretty close to double.
This is, ladies and gentlemen, completely unacceptable for me, as a senior. I believe [city councilmembers] are trying to force me out of my family home, and I also consider this to be elder abuse.
Idea: If each of them chipped in $219.36, that would cover my bill!
Judith Sanderson
Healdsburg
My city utility charge for August jumped from just over $300 to $564. I was shocked to see such an increase. My bills have averaged about $300/month for the last couple of years so this was a surprise indeed. I knew the rates were to increase, but I had no idea it would be this much. Even though we’re not in a drought we continue to conserve water, but we seem to get penalized for using less. We rarely run our A/C, we don’t waste water—what more can we do?
Healdsburg
Sharyn Sarquis
Healdsburg
