No Free Flushes for Borough Duplexes

WEST WILDWOOD – A petition by a group of residents asking borough commissioners to either repeal an ordinance that raised sewer rates by $75 or put it before the voters in a referendum was found not to be a petitionable ordinance. That is what Acting Municipal Clerk Donna Frederick told a resident prior to the start of a Nov. 20 special meeting of commissioners.
Frederick said research into case law showed the increase to be part of current expenses and therefore not petitionable. According to the clerk, the sewer department is functioning in a deficit, which is not allowed.
“It (the petition) was accepted,” said Mayor Christopher Fox, “but the sewer department was operating in the red.”
Commissioner Cornelius “Max” Maxwell said during the previous administration, a sewer rate increase of $33 was approved but never enacted.
“The previous administration, in December, passed an ordinance raising the sewer bill and they never instituted it,” said Maxwell. “We ran all year without getting that money.”
Fox said that oversight was brought to the attention of the current administration in late summer.
Borough commissioners unanimously voted approval of the first reading of an additional sewer-related ordinance repealing a previous ordinance pertaining to sewer rates.
According to Fox, the ordinance was repealed because “none of the duplexes were being charged for sewer.”
The mayor said the first unit of a duplex was paying sewer fees with the second unit not being charged.
Single residences and triplex properties were charged appropriately, with all units paying for sewer.
“If you had a duplex, you were only paying for one unit,” Fox told the Herald. “Those who have a duplex and haven’t been paying are going to pay their fair share.”
A second reading and public hearing of the ordinance regarding duplexes will be held Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. in Borough Hall.