Columbia residents will vote Tuesday on whether the city should use bond funds to make improvements to its water system.
If passed, Proposition 1 would allow the city to issue about $43 million in fresh revenue bonds for the express purpose of modernizing its water treatment and installing what it calls “additional reliability and safety elements.” To pay off this new debt, Columbia Water and Light says it would raise water bills by two to three percent per year until the year 2022, for a total rate increase of about 12 percent.
The city says these changes are not optional, so if the bond issue does not pass, it will still need to increase water bills to pay for this work upfront.
Columbia Residents last voted on a water bond issue in November 2008. That measure passed with about 80 percent of voters in favor.
