The measure’s creator, Rep. Shanda Yates, mentioned the laws is “particularly designed to guarantee that billing is equitable.”

On Tuesday, by a vote of 83-28, the Mississippi Home handed H.B. 698 which might “guarantee simply, affordable and clear billing for municipal water, wastewater and sewer companies.”

The same measure, S.B. 2338, handed the Mississippi Senate and has been referred to the Home Public Works Committee.

State Consultant Shanda Yates, now an Impartial who represents Hinds and Madison counties, authored the Home invoice. The District 64 Consultant mentioned the invoice “merely requires” {that a} municipality concern water and sewer payments primarily based on the quantity of water or sewer utilized by a buyer.

“The charges at which water, wastewater, and sewer companies shall be provided shall be simply and affordable, and charges will not be unreasonably preferential, prejudicial or discriminatory however shall be ample, equitable and constant in utility to every class of inhabitants,” the invoice states. “Charges shall be calculated in equitable proportion to the companies and advantages rendered. Besides as supplied in Part 21-27-77, the calculation of an inhabitant’s invoice shall be restricted to the precise quantity of utilization, plus these charges affordable and essential for the price of capital bills, system operation and upkeep, and debt service.”

The laws units forth that nothing within the statute shall be construed as prohibiting an inhabitant or governing authority of any municipality from making use of for and receiving any federally or privately sponsored cost help.

Although Home Invoice 698 handed the chamber, some lawmakers expressed their issues with the laws.

When requested whether or not a municipality would have the ability to estimate a water invoice following the passage of this invoice, Rep. Yates mentioned water payments “must be primarily based on the quantity of water {that a} buyer is utilizing.”

State Consultant De’Keither Stamps (D) mentioned he’s displeased with the water scenario in Jackson, however cautioned in opposition to permitting it to influence different cities and cities within the state.

“We must always not damage each municipality in Mississippi due to the billing scenario within the Metropolis of Jackson,” mentioned Stamps, a candidate for Central District Public Service Commissioner this 12 months.

Yates mentioned she doesn’t assume it’s hurting anybody to invoice primarily based on what they’re utilizing. Stamps argued that lawmakers ought to hear from each municipality earlier than they impact all municipalities.

State Consultant Ronnie Crudup (D) mentioned there are some cases they know of within the Metropolis of Jackson the place some meters usually are not appropriate. He requested whether or not this laws is “tying up the fingers” of the third-party administrator by developing with a extra equitable formulation to make use of relating to getting water payments. 

“This invoice is particularly designed to guarantee that billing is equitable, actually, and that billing is predicated on the quantity of water that clients are literally utilizing,” Yates mentioned. “I can’t consider a extra equitable approach to invoice an individual than to invoice them primarily based on what they’re utilizing.”

Final week, Ted Henifin, who was appointed to supervise the Jackson water system, supplied a 30-page plan to maintain town’s water system. The plan suggests billing people and companies for water primarily based on the worth of their property, with a cap charge of $150 per thirty days for residential property house owners and $600 per thirty days for companies.

State Consultant Zakiya Summers (D) requested whether or not HB 698 was launched due to this proposal.

“The third-party administrator, Mr. Henifin, has admitted in his report that there are some points along with his proposal and the knowledgeable he employed to have a look at whether or not metering versus property billing could be efficient or not additionally raised some questions,” Yates replied, including that the payments is within the pipeline to deal with a particular concern that was dropped at her consideration as soon as lawmakers had been already in session. 

Rep. Yates mentioned the third-party administrator has said a number of occasions, and in his report, that he believes metering will be mounted inside a 12 months, two years on the most. She famous that the speedy repair could be for the Metropolis of Jackson to concern and gather water payments from residents. 

Rep. Summers requested if we belief the third-party administrator to do the water metering, why can we not belief him to do the billing system as properly. She requested if Rep. Yates would think about an modification that may maintain this in place till the metering system is mounted, to which she mentioned no. Yates mentioned that shifting this invoice alongside the method just isn’t hurting something. 

“It’s retaining the invoice alive so we will proceed to work on the invoice if it must be labored on,” Rep. Yates mentioned.

The invoice now strikes to the Senate for consideration.

You’ll be able to watch the total ground debate beneath: