MH City Council divided over water and sewer increase

The Mountain Home City Council was divided Thursday night after hearing the third and final readings of three water and sewer rate ordinances proposing increases. As a result, all three ordinances failed on a tie vote.The proposed increases would have affected residential and commercial water and sewer customers in Mountain Home. In addition, increases were proposed for those who purchase their water through the Northeast, Gassville/Cotter, and Lakeview/Midway districts. One of the ordinances would have increased the contracted water rates between the Mountain Home Water Department and its wholesale purchasers.

Northeast Public Water Authority (NWPA) President Donald Cox says the authority was opposed to the proposed hikes.

The increases were referred to the council by the water and sewer committee. Membership of the committee consists of Water and Sewer Director Alma Clark and Councilmen Rick Pierce, Carl Graves, Jennifer Baker, and Eva Frame.

Baker, Graves, Pierce and Councilwoman Nancy Osmon voted in favor of the three measures. Council members David Almond, Wayne Almond, Eva Frame and Don Webb voted against.

The resulting tie left it up to Mayor Pro Tem, City Clerk Brian Plumlee, to choose if he would cast the deciding vote. Plumlee says he didn’t feel comfortable, as an administrator, weighing in with the absence of Mayor Joe Dillard. He says he believes it should be up to the legislative body to decide rather than the administrative.

After the vote was decided Plumlee says former council member Marshella Norell said she was disappointed in the council for not coming into agreement.

In other council news, the council approved the rezoning of a residential property to commercial and amended the personnel policy handbook to increase compensatory time for city employees from 120 hours to 160 hours.

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