Why are water bills in Flint higher than anywhere else in Genesee County?
The Flint Journal and Mlive found water customers in Flint pay on average $140 a month for water and sewer service. That is tops in the county.
It’s also $35 a month more than Montrose, which is second-highest.
Not only is the cost high, but it looks as if it will only go up. The budget set out by Flint Emergency Manager Darnell Earley calls for a 6.5% increase in water and sewer rates.
Scott Kincaid is president of Flint's City Council. He has been fighting these water rates in court. Two of his lawsuits have been dismissed. He filed a third lawsuit in U.S. District Court earlier this year.
“These water rates are creating a real hardship for senior citizens who are living on a fixed income and young families living on minimum wage,” says Kincaid.
Kincaid says the high price of water has resulted in many residents leaving Flint, and has actually hastened Flint’s population decline.
*Listen to Scott Kincaid discuss Flint’s rising water prices above*
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