Baldwin raises sewer rates

An ordinance to raise sewer rates in Baldwin was passed Thursday at the regular board meeting of town aldermen and the mayor.
Before the vote several concerned citizens said they didn’t believe that now was a good time to be raising any utility rates on the citizenry of Baldwin.
An attendee in the audience said, “I don’t think anyone can afford that. Baldwin is taxing us a lot for these water bills; and I do understand that we are getting water from Charenton, and that costs, but you have to take into consideration single parents that you have in these areas, and you have to take into consideration the elderly people with one income, like Ms. Idela who as soon as she receives her check sees it gone because she has bills to pay. You have to take into consideration that we are in a pandemic. A lot of people lost their jobs and are still looking for jobs. People are going through things.”
Baldwin Mayor Abel “Phil” Prejean entertained the argument for a while, then said, “Look, this doesn’t make me happy, to come and tell you that rates have to be raised. It’s not like that.
“If they don’t do it, the (town’s) situation just gets worse.
“It’s not fair to just kick the can down the road, and you’ll have to face it at another time with a bigger increase. We just can’t keep going with this deficit.
“We’ve come very far in fixing that deficit, but look, the turnip has been squeezed, and I’ve gotten everything out of it.
“We don’t have a town that has a lot of taxpayers, and we don’t have new businesses coming into town. There is nobody to help shoulder that load. The load falls on the residents.
“And if there is something I could do to spread that load around, I’d be more than happy to do it. I mean, my God, that would be the greatest thing I could do. But, we are where we are; and if it doesn’t happen here and now, it’ll happen later and somewhere else, maybe your property rates. And I don’t think you want that either, so it’ll have to be addressed at some point.”
The motion passed with three votes in favor, and two votes against.
Alderman Clarence Vappie remarked that the average sewer rate increase would amount to around $2.45 per month. Reaction in the gallery receded then.
St. Mary Parish Councilman Reverend Craig Mathews called it putting a Band-Aid on a surgery site, but agreed that it was necessary, and reassured residents, as well as did Town Attorney Joseph Tabb, that all state and federal avenues of assistance were being pursued to rectify Baldwin’s financial straits.
Mathews recommended inviting State Representative Vincent St. Blanc and State Senator Bret Allain to the town hall meetings in order to engage with them directly.
In other business, the winning bid announced for House in the Park (on Resweber Lane) at $55,111, as well as, proclamations were approved that March is Development Disability Awareness Month, and April will be Fair Housing Month in Baldwin.