Bruce Baker
Westminster City Council 2021
Thanks to the Voters of Westminster for my election. I will not fail you.
To have an attractive City we need attractive neighborhoods. Attractive neighborhoods need affordable water so all homeowners can keep their landscape nice. Westminster water prices, while now meaningfully reduced, need one more step. I want to enable all homeowners to have a beautiful landscape. Westminster must be a place where all our citizens can afford to carry their share of the beauty of our neighborhoods and City.
Denver's highest water rate is $5.74. Fort Collins highest water rate is $3.75. Broomfield sells water for $3.36 per thousand, as much as you need. Pueblo is $2.98. The highest water rate in Westminster is all water over 40 kgal at @$8.15 per kgal.
According to the 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, as of Dec 31, 2020 the Water/sewer Proprietary Fund had $129 million dollars in cash and investments and $48 million in restricted cash and cash equivalents. We have enough cash to buy anything we need! We don't need high water rates.
City of Westminster - 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report
I FOUGHT for lower water rates in 2018.
I CAMPAIGNED for lower water rates in 2019.
I PETITIONED for lower water rates in 2020.
I HELPED in the District Court Case to honor the petition signatures in 2021.
I NEEDED your help and your vote to be ELECTED to council 2021.
We have SET lower waters rates in 2022.
But there is still more to go.
Denver's highest water rate is $5.74. Fort Collins highest water rate is $3.75. Broomfield sells water for $3.36 per thousand, as much as you need. Pueblo is $2.98. The highest water rate in Westminster is all water over 40 kgal at @$8.15 per kgal.
According to the 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, as of Dec 31, 2020 the Water/sewer Proprietary Fund had $129 million dollars in cash and investments and $48 million in restricted cash and cash equivalents. We have enough cash to buy anything we need! We don't need high water rates.
City of Westminster - 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report
I FOUGHT for lower water rates in 2018.
I CAMPAIGNED for lower water rates in 2019.
I PETITIONED for lower water rates in 2020.
I HELPED in the District Court Case to honor the petition signatures in 2021.
I NEEDED your help and your vote to be ELECTED to council 2021.
We have SET lower waters rates in 2022.
But there is still more to go.
Westminster should have water at no more Six Dollars per thousand gallons!
How far has Council moved the Water Rates?
Was: 0 to 6,000 gallons $3.96 Now: 0-8,000 gallons $3.57
7,000 to 20,000 $8.15 9,000 to 40,000 $6.52
over 21,000 $12.88 over 41,000 $8.15
While this is an enormous reduction, Westminster's water rates are still not a cost based rate. Our water rates are based on the appetite of the water department staff for very expensive water projects. If their appetite was not so large, our water rates would be lower. These new rates will go a very far towards returning Westminster to the Tree City USA that we had been for decades. Our new rates mean only about 1,000 of our 31,000 homeowners are being economically punished because their house lots are large. Westminster has endured 3 years of unnecessary, hurtful and mean-spirited water rates, so as a compromise so I was OK with helping most people now and only one more year until Council makes all rates reasonable.
Was: 0 to 6,000 gallons $3.96 Now: 0-8,000 gallons $3.57
7,000 to 20,000 $8.15 9,000 to 40,000 $6.52
over 21,000 $12.88 over 41,000 $8.15
While this is an enormous reduction, Westminster's water rates are still not a cost based rate. Our water rates are based on the appetite of the water department staff for very expensive water projects. If their appetite was not so large, our water rates would be lower. These new rates will go a very far towards returning Westminster to the Tree City USA that we had been for decades. Our new rates mean only about 1,000 of our 31,000 homeowners are being economically punished because their house lots are large. Westminster has endured 3 years of unnecessary, hurtful and mean-spirited water rates, so as a compromise so I was OK with helping most people now and only one more year until Council makes all rates reasonable.
We are not there yet.
But I have the tenacity, determination and passion to get there.
We must have the same commitment in all Westminster City Council members.
But I have the tenacity, determination and passion to get there.
We must have the same commitment in all Westminster City Council members.
