Opinion and Commentary By Donna Westfall – January 13, 2024 Don't want your sewer rates to go up? Do you own your property? Or are you the tenant that pays the water/sewer bill? Learn how to oppose the increase, but don't do it now. There is a simple solution. It's called Prop 218. It takes less than a minute to sign, date and fill out the form. Check out this form: You don't have to be a registered voter to oppose sewer rate increases. You do have to either own the property or be the tenant that pays the sewer bill. You do have to sign your name, include the address and date the form. In the past, people would pay their water/sewer bill and write, "I oppose any increase." Then they didn't sign their name and their opposition was thrown out. So follow the directions. But don't fill out the Prop 218 form now. Keep reading. It would help a lot if you would go speak before the City Council during public comment. They meet twice a month, the first and third Monday of the month unless it's a holiday. This Monday, January 15th is a holiday; Martin Luther King Day. As far as I know, the City Council will meet Tuesday, January 16th instead at 6 pm at the Flynn County Building located at 981 H St. They also have ZOOM Meetings. It would also help a lot if you could volunteer to collect signatures of your friends and neighbors, or sit at a table around town collecting signatures usually in front of the Water Department on J Street. Now, it does no good to submit anything right now. There's a specific time period in which to oppose the rate increase and most likely it will be in the Spring.