Letter to the Editor: 06.26.2025

June 26, 2025

To the Editor:

Waterbury increased the water and sewer rates charged to Watertown in 2018. Watertown said they believed Waterbury was required to contract negotiated rates, and just kept paying at the old rates. Out of fear of losing votes, the ruling majority didn’t even collect any extra amount from the ratepayers despite the certainty that some increase would be owed. They kept charging the old rates without a word to the ratepayers about the lawsuit and what was at risk.

Waterbury sued and won an $18.8 million judgment against Watertown. Most residents learned about the lawsuit when the judgment was announced. On Oct. 18, 2023, Watertown held a public hearing to explain what had happened and many residents were concerned about how the judgment would be assessed and urged the Water and Sewer Authority to pay what was owed. Town Attorney Paul Jessell said it was an “unlikely reality” that Watertown would lose an appeal. Watertown appealed.

Rates were raised at that public hearing. WSA Chairman James Sugden and Attorney Jessell explained the rate increase was to put additional money away if Watertown were to lose the appeal. No attempt was made to develop a plan on how Watertown would deal with a potential loss of the appeal.

Watertown lost the appeal. The court found that Waterbury can set fair and equitable rates, so it doesn’t matter what was agreed to more than 80 years ago. The new rates are fair and equitable and surrounding towns have been paying them for years. Now Watertown owes Waterbury $34.4 million.

This never should have happened. We’ve been caught in the Republicans' struggle to maintain power. They keep putting off raising rates because votes are their main concern.

The Town is scrambling to figure out how to satisfy the $34.4 million judgment. At the June 16 Council meeting, Republican members said that petitioning the Supreme Court wouldn’t cost much and would give them time to figure this out. It is unlikely the Supreme Court will agree to hear the case as they already turned it down once before. Incurring compound interest of about $16,000 a day must be peanuts to these Council members after blowing millions.

At the June 18 Water and Sewer Authority meeting, it was decided that Waterbury’s invoices would be paid in full but the WSA is not collecting enough to do so. They will make up the difference from the $10 million that was set aside to pay toward the judgment. By not paying the $10 million directly to Waterbury, Watertown will continue to pay interest.

There is an election in November. Watertown’s Republicans may continue to delay raising rates and dealing with this catastrophe until after the election, regardless of what it adds to the bill. Don’t be fooled. If rates are not raised before November, they will need to go up even higher after the election. The debt is now due.

It’s time for Watertown residents to think about a change in leadership.

Katherine Camara

Waterbury Republican American