The Local Source for News and Information Since 1980
RIDGELY – In anticipation of a larger-than-usual crowd, the Ridgely Town Commission held their regular monthly meeting at Cow Barn Events venue on Monday, November 2. It was the first public meeting since residents received quarterly water and sewer bills reflecting newly increased rates. Residents packed the venue and largely spoke out against the new rates, with some reporting that their bills were double or triple what they had been prior.
Commissioners said the town had to address both an operating deficit and its limited reserves. According to Commissioner Brad Sears, the town has “roughly $16,500 in reserves”, but the state of Maryland mandates reserve funds be equal to 25% of the town’s utility budget. Commissioner Chad Leister said, “We have an almost $170,000 deficit we need to close, and then we need some kind of contingency fund.” Commissioner Leister acknowledged that while closing the deficit is important, “the rates are too high. Something needs to be done, or we're not going to have any residents in town to even worry about having these meetings.”
Ridgely residents took the opportunity to press the Commissioners with questions and comments over the crowd during several periods of interruption. After a plea from resident Jamie Romph to move to public comment early to lower the temperature of emotions in the room, Commission President John Hurley decided they would take a ten minute break and return for public comment.
Regardless of how their voices were heard, residents’ inquiries focused on the size and timing of the increases, the way rates were selected, and whether the bills reflected actual use. Several indicated their bills had seen large jumps, including bills in the thousands, and questioned whether meter readings were accurate. One resident who lives alone said his recorded use had increased despite no major changes in his habits. Residents also raised concerns about the burden on retirees, young families, and people on fixed incomes. One 21-year resident even said that he’d bought property elsewhere and plans to move out of Ridgely. Katie Kimble, who introduced herself as a resident and professional civil engineer, said she would be willing to volunteer to help the town work through the water system and billing issues.
Robert Rauch, owner of the local engineering and architecture firm, Rauch Inc., presented his company’s review of the rate study that informed the original increases. He explained that he was asked by the town to assess whether the rate study followed industry best practices and reflected rates comparable to other towns – not to decide what specific rates the town should charge.
Rauch began by saying that municipalities are responsible for paying the full costs of operating and maintaining water and wastewater systems, including staffing, utilities, debt service, and future repairs. He pointed out that Ridgely’s rates had not meaningfully changed in about 12 years, while the system’s costs grew. Under the old rates, he said, the town had been running “almost a million dollars in shortfalls” that were covered with general-fund money. “You shouldn’t be running a deficit that requires general fund monies to subsidize it,” he said.
He went on to say that the town’s rate study was consistent with standard practice and the proposed rates were similar to towns like Centreville, Queenstown, and St. Michaels, while acknowledging that these findings do not make the bill any easier to swallow. Rauch also explained the need for the town to more than break even on operating costs; the roughly $100,000 in additional annual revenue reflected in the rate increase is intended to meet utility debt obligations and support reserves for repairs and replacement of major equipment in the future. Some of these upgrades, he added, are or will be state-mandated.
“The challenge is for your elected officials to work with you and the community to find a way to balance it,” he finished.
Some commenters raised concerns that the billing structure may be placing a disproportionate burden on households that use more water. One speaker argued that the tiered rates rise too steeply and suggested considering lower tiers or a flatter rate. Another raised winter averaging as a way to calculate sewer charges based on winter water use, when less water may be used outdoors and therefore may not enter the sewer system.
Several also questioned whether meter readings were accurate. The town’s Zoning Administrator Melissa Leonard mentioned that the town has already been in talks with their water usage tracking software to get a customer-facing tool so residents can see their own usage. She added that the current meters are approaching 20 years old and the town is considering replacing them gradually in the coming years. Director of Operations David Crist said the meters have a lifecycle of 30 years.
The public’s sentiments extended beyond water rates and billing to concerns about town finances and governance in general. Some called for a close review of town spending, including staff salaries, vehicles, overtime, the memorandum of understanding with the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office for policing, and other expenses. More than one resident openly called for Commissioner Hurley to resign, to which he replied he is “not a quitter” and he will finish his term in April.
Commissioners and town officials acknowledged the anger and hardship in the room, though residents challenged them to provide concrete answers rather than general assurances. Commissioners Sears and Leister apologized to the crowd for the situation and their part in it, and assured residents that they would work to rectify it as best they could. Discontented residents pushed back, noting that bills were already due and that some households had paid amounts they could not easily manage.
Earlier in the meeting, Commissioner Sears made a motion to eliminate late fees for the quarterly water bills in question, which passed unanimously. Town officials explained that any changes to the rates themselves requires proposing legislation and holding a public hearing over the course of two separate meetings before it can be considered for final passage. To get things moving on this legislative process, the Commissioners decided to schedule an emergency meeting next Monday, November 9, at 6:00 p.m. The location is yet to be determined.
