Over the Weekend, South Fulton County residents and I'm certain others, received a notice from the City of Atlanta inviting us to a Town hall meeting. The meeting would address the proposed rate increase in our already unusually high water and sewerage bills. I cannot afford a 45% rate increase nor do I plan to entertain the thought.

Atlanta's water woes did not just start and the repairs or replacements should not just start by raising our rates. I'd rather pay for a water treatment system for the Southside. For the sake of the City of Atlanta, we in unincorporated and South Fulton County are overtaxed, overcharged for services that the City of Atlanta gets at no charge. I recognize there is infrastructure and other problems that need to be fixed but continuing to take from us to give to them is undeniably unfair. When I moved into my house, I inherited a $700 water bill from the previous owners.

Upon speaking with some of my neighbors they had the same problem. Most had to be paid before water could be connected to our homes. Atlanta has been negligent in collecting fees from previous owners and guilty of making new owner's pay for services they never received. We need to attend this Town Hall meeting in numbers to voice our opinions or before you know it, your water bill will be as high as your tax bill or worse yet, your mortgage. Who can afford that? Where is the break for the little people?

Senior Editor,
O’drean E. Banks

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