It's not the water rates the bother me; it's the wastewater/sewer charges with equal or dwarf the water billing most months. And worst of all, Portland is still dumping poo-poo in the river when it rains heavily.

Hey, what do you expect? Water bills go into the general fund and then god knows where it ends up instead of fixing the sewers over the past 25+ years.

At least the Feds had the decency to sue CoP to get them to stop dumping sewage.

Monopoly utilities have become the new tax source for most governments nowadays. They can't easily extract money from the taxpayers anymore so they don't just go away...They just get it somewhere else. Often times public utilities collect far more in rates than is needed to operate the utility and they can spend the money anywhere they want...Homeless shelters, corporate welfare, whatever. There is no law disallowing any of this as it's perfectly legal but, many would say, somewhat unethical.

As a resident of Sandy, I haven't paid much attention to the great Portland water debate (debacle?). That is, until I just read that Sandy is now considering a deal with the Portland Water Bureau to use the Bull Run as a potential future source of water for Sandy - among other options.

Randy Leonard wrote into our local rag, the Sandy Post, "point[ing] to the over 100-year outstanding relationship the city of Portland has enjoyed with the city of Gresham in providing Gresham with Bull Run Water."

Can someone comment on this "outstanding relationship" and what "partnering" with Portland might mean to us out here in Sandy - good and bad?

Water bills go into the general fund and then god knows where it ends up instead of fixing the sewers over the past 25+ years.

I'm not sure where ideas like this come from (perhaps with exception of brilliant minds of our time like Lars Larson), but City Charter specifically prohibits such transfers. Here's the portion applicable to water funds:

Section 11-104 Funds

After payment of expenses for issuance of water bonds, the proceeds shall be placed in the Water Construction Fund.

Money from the sale of water and charges related to water works or service shall be placed in the Water Fund. After deducting sinking fund requirements, operating expenses of the water works and plant and the Water Bureau, which may include depreciation on plant and property, and maintenance expense found necessary or appropriate, the Council may transfer any excess in the Water Fund to the Water Construction Fund.

The Council may make transfers between funds in the Water Bureau, but the funds and accounts of the Water Bureau relating to water plant and works shall be separate from other accounts and funds of the City and treated as a separate municipal operation. The Council may impose charges it finds equitable upon the operation of the water system for municipal services of other departments, bureaus and officers, and may impose fees of the same character as for public utilities. Otherwise, money in the Water Fund or the Water Construction Fund shall not be transferred to the General Fund of the City, nor to special funds unrelated to the water works, water system and the sinking funds for water bond debt service.

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There is similar language related to sewer funds.

How much are Section 11-04 funds of the average water bill?

Also, since you know, is the Water Bureau asking for a 5% increase for each year up through 2011?