By Katherine Kelly – August 28, 2026 Well, City of Crescent City, I just opened up the latest water/sewer bill you sent me this morning and my stomach did a flip flop. $140.35. My last bill was $98.70. You might think a $42 difference isn't all that much, and lucky you if it isn't. But I could barely pay the last bill, just a few days ago, and I'm left with $7 to finish off the month. Last month it was $9. Thankfully the month is almost over and I don't see anything needing to be spent on in the next five days. But what about next month? Next month I have to magically create an extra $42 in my bank account to pay the increased water/sewer bill. Any ideas how I can do that? Anyone? Can you hear me? A little math here: I am almost 71 years old, living on a fixed income of $1233. I'm lucky to have cheap rent, and I don't use much on my utilities so they are usually about $100 each. But that still leaves me with only about $200 to run myself for the entire month. I live cheap, use a clothesline instead of the dryer, barely go anywhere because I can't afford the gas, but I still have to buy things, like toilet paper, laundry detergent, vet needs and food for my two elderly chihuahuas, and let's not forget car insurance and an occasional personal product. But my simple and frugal life has gotten what now seems too expensive in this horrible economy and there is no room for one more expense! So, City of Crescent City, the math isn't mathing and I'd like to know what you are going to do with us old folks who can't afford this water/sewer increase? Will you cut off our water? Will the toilet stop flushing? Are you going to force us out of our homes to live in our cars? I'm deadly serious when I say there is no money to pay this increased water/sewer bill. And I can't believe I am the only one in this pickle. I will be defaulting on my payment next month and there's nothing I can do about it. I just turned off my autopay so I don't get overdraft charges when The City of Crescent City tries to take out next month's payment. I already live close to the bone. There's nothing left to cut. You got us into this mess, you need to fix it. Fast.