What are the City of Muskegon Heights plans?
TO: City Council
Muskegon Heights
In the very near future the city will loss at least 70% of its water usage, the cities which are contracted with the Heights for water usage is being terminated, come April 15, 2015. That lost is going to leave a additional burden on the city and its residents, in order to maintain the water plant and provide safe water usage for it citizens and others. With the closing of many of the business’s and home owners/rental property owners leaving, not to include the predicted closing of additional school buildings. With the percentage of homeowners within the low or middle media income bracket, and that number is dropping drastically. So how would they pick up the burden of having to pay an higher water bill because of the cities failures.
This citizen is hoping that the Heights governing body is proactive and is working on a plan as to how they will subsidize the 70% lost without putting a more higher financial burden on its citizens. There is plenty of time to come up with something which is adequate, if one will look back they will find that the city of Benton Harbor was in a similar situation but is was not about water.
It clearly states in the Preamble of the City Charter; “Plans which affect citizens generally are to be shared by government. The Charter recognizes that the good of the community is the paramount concern of the government and that citizen input should be utilized to determine what is in the best interest of the City of Muskegon Heights. Accordingly, the City will undertake to keep the public inform about issues affecting the community.
Jackie Darnell