Remember these sewer rate letters? Now, residents will have two chances—April 22 and May 13—to voice their opinion before a final decision is made.
Bakersfield City Manager Christian Clegg states that approximately 30 percent of residents did not receive the original Proposition 218 notice due to a mailing error. Proposition 218 is a California law that requires local governments to notify property owners before raising utility rates—and gives residents the right to protest those increases. “We have over 100,000 utility accounts that are a part of our sewer system, and there were 30,000 individuals who didn’t get that original notice.” He said.
Officials say the impacted addresses are scattered across the city, with the largest concentrations in zip codes 93311, 93312, and 93313. Clegg says the error wasn’t exclusive to just one part of town—it was the result of a computer technical error. Residents who haven’t received a notice should check their mail in the coming days. The city says anyone with questions can also contact the Bakersfield Utilities Department directly…