Chairman Calls Water Rates Offer a “Slap in the Face”

In Tuesday’s Water and Sewer meeting the Authority voted to accept Clayton’s offer on water rates for Dillard, but not without a lengthy discussion first between members of the Authority and Chairman Sam Beck…

“This Authority is tasked with providing water to the citizens of Rabun County. The City of Clayton has a gun to our head, and saying you can pay this or your not going to be able to provide water to the citizens of Rabun County. So it’s either we have to do this and provide water, or not do it and the citizens of Rabun County suffer.”

Authority member Randy Speed also voiced displeasure with the offer…

“I tell ya, I know this, I think that everyone here is still in for the betterment of the County as a whole. I agree with a lot that’s been said here today. Sometimes we make decisions even though we don’t like em, and I dang sure don’t like this one, but I know we’ve made it with the interest of the citizens of the County as a whole, just like Sam said earlier.”

The Chairman supported the other members discontent over the situation…

“For them to bring such an agreement as this to us, I feel like it’s a slap in the face personally. You know, like I said, if we had not tried to be accommodating in every way, this authority has gone as far as meeting this City’s own contractual obligations at the water treatment plant, purchasing updates, software updates, different things that the city was actually contractually obligated, this authority has stepped up and done. By doing that, what we have done is gotten zero revenue, and now we’re getting slapped in the face with this as a wholesale water rate. To me, I don’t understand that, but, that’s where we are.”

The rate passed with a 4 to 2 vote.