Something is wacky here. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities wants to encourage water conservation and charge heavy users more. This is good. Officials are talking a 16 percent increase in the price.
But then they turn around and note that too much conservation means that CMUD might not bring in enough money to pay down its debt. This despite steadily raising rates in recent years and a steady increase in the number of rate-payers. Hmmm.
This suggests CMUD has either issued more debt than it can afford, and/or is spending money very inefficiently. In fact, CMUD seems to be deploying CATS tried and true strategy of saying it needs more money upfront, or it will cost millions more later.
In the private sector, that is called extortion.
