City of Westlake Council members found out it spends more to supply the city with water and wastewater than it takes in.

Tony Sonnier, The Louisiana Rural Water Association delivered the  eye-opening report at the Monday meeting, showing that the water and wastewater systems are subsidized by tax monies at a higher percentage than the Association recommends.

Council members voted down the introduction of an amendment 4-to-1 to look at how residential, commercial and industrial rates might be adjusted despite Mayor Hal McMillan’s reminders that the introduction would allow Council and administration to look at what might be done to get the system closer to the self-sustaining mark. It would not mean that Sonnier’s recommendation for rates would be immediately adopted or adopted.

Lori Peterson voted in favor of the introduction. Jeremy Cryer, Clayton Rougeou, Freddie Harrison, III and Kenny Brown voted against.

About his vote Council member Brown said, “We’re paying more for water than everybody else in the area. We pay more than Sulphur pays, double what Jennings pays.”

“We live in a community where the majority of us live on a fixed income,” said a local business owner. “I’m paying $238 a month for water. “It’s going to $500 a month or more (based on a recommendation from Sonnier), any damn way you cut it. So, I asked myself what’s the difference between your business and mine. There is none. I get hit first and you get hit second.”

He said before Christmas, 99 percent of his food sales were in bank cards. Today, less than seven months later, 99 percent of his food sales are on credit cards.

“If I can’t make money, I can’t pay taxes,” he said, “and if I can’t pay taxes, you can’t spend money. You got to stop the bleeding. We need to be proactive, not reactive.

The mayor said that is what he was trying to do, be proactive.

“We subsidized about $1 million dollars last year. This Council wants to work with every commercial person out there, and yeah, what we’re doing is wanting to introduce this ordinance so we can work with Tony to find out how rates can be tweaked so one sector of the city is not hammered more than another sector.

Currently residents pay $33.37 for 2,000 gallons of water and $4.09 per 1,000 gallons over 2,000. Commercial water users pay $42.50 for 8,000 gallons and $5.11 per 1,000 gallons over 8,000. Industrial customers pay $65.39 for 10,000 gallons and $6.13 per 1,000 gallons over 10,000 and $2.44 per 1,000 gallons over 150,000.

City Clerk Andrea Mahfouz said that an average use for a family of four without a swimming pool or sprinkler system and its usage was 8,000 gallons.

The City of Westlake has reduced rates for senior and handicapped residents.

McMillin said since taking office, 350 meters have been repaired or replaced in an attempt to increase efficiency, but operating in the red without planning a move to black is not being a good steward of the city’s resources.

“I’m not a fan of what’s next,” he said. “I hate to be a bearer of bad news but I am going to continue to work to keep moving Westlake toward solvency and moving forward. We will be watching our spending closely. If anyone wants to discuss the budget, my door is alway open.”

The audit was a free service to the city as it is a member of the Louisiana Rural Water Association. It was conducted to comply with requirements for grants from the Water Sector.