While paying double water rates outside the city limits, someTanglewood residents believe they aren’t getting their money’sworth in city services.

While paying double water rates outside the city limits, someTanglewood residents believe they aren’t getting their money’sworth in city services. But, city officials say they are trappedand have little choice in the water rate issue.

Karen Rogers and Steve Hurst, representing about 10 subdivisionresidents at last night’s board meeting, questioned the practice ofcustomers outside the city limits paying double rates.

Rogers said she had spoken to other people who had never seenanything like the practice before. With the double rate surchargearound $300-$400 more a year, Hurst said customers are paying aboveand beyond what they would be paying in city property taxes if theywere in the city.

Rogers said she realized Tanglewood was outside the city, butresidents there do pay city school taxes. She also said she wastold county volunteer firefighters would respond to a fire therebefore the city fire department.

“It doesn’t seem like we’re getting our money’s worth,” Hurstadded.

Later in the discussion, Fire Chief Paul Cartwright said thecity department would respond if they are called first and water isavailable in the area. Calls to 911 are dispatched to a countydepartment who can then request city back up, the chief said.

Mayor Bill Godbold said the double rate system was the result ofprevious administrations. He said double rates had been in effectfor years.

“We couldn’t even find in our records exactly when we started,”Godbold said.

Also, Godbold said the previous administration approved a bondissue based on outside city water customers paying double rates,and the city couldn’t pay the bonds if they were altered. The mayorsaid 360 customers are now paying double rates for city waterservices.

Annexation, possibly next year, could offer some relief, Godboldsaid. With that area in the city, the rates would be lowered, butproperty tax millage adjustments may be needed to cover water bondissue expenses, he said.

Another alternative is for residents to drill a well. The mayorsaid residents could do that since they are outside citylimits.

“We don’t like it anymore than you do, but we’re caught in atrap right now,” Godbold said about the double rate system.

With no voting power and uncertainties about annexation, Hurstsaid outside city residents were also caught in a trap.

“It would seem pretty foolish to dig a well and 12 months laterbe annexed into the city,” Hurst said.

Hurst pleaded for some middle ground, such as only a 50 percentsurcharge.

Godbold agreed the city would look into the situation. Heindicated City Accountant Verbalee Watts would be sought for inputon the matter.

DRUG-TESTING DILEMMA

With two contracts for city employee drug testing in effect,city fathers will seek official word from the Attorney General’sOffice in trying to resolve the issue.

At their Sept. 19 meeting, aldermen approved a contract with theHuman Performance Center for drug-screening services. However,since 1996, the city has had a series of automatically-renewedone-year contracts with Kim Carr and Associates for the sameservices.

City Attorney Joe Fernald said he understood the city could haveas many service providers as needed as long as the companies werecertified. Ward 4 Alderman John Roberts, though, said he had spokento an assistant attorney general who said the city could have onlyone provider.

Under terms of the Carr contract, Fernald said the city wasobligated to give 30 days written notice of contract termination.He indicated that was one option now.

“She was right that she didn’t know,” Fernald said, referring toCarr’s Oct. 3 board meeting appearance to question the city’s movein changing contracts.

Godbold said the city was caught in a bind. He said officialscouldn’t take the lower price and couldn’t take a bid.

“What the hell can we do?” Godbold asked, suggesting the citycontinue with two service providers.

Fernald said he would seek something in writing on the contractmatter. Aldermen could make a decision at their Nov. 7 meeting.