Goleta Water District Directors to Vote on Rate Hike

At a public meeting on June 1, the Goleta Water District directors will vote on whether to raise rates over the next five years. The first hike of 16 percent would commence on July 1. Rates would then phase in over the next four years at 11, 7, 3, and one percent respectively. General manager John McInnes said the district has no cash reserve and meanwhile requires $11 million for capital projects over the next five years. “We have not been diligent,” he said of the district, which has not altered its rates since 2007 while costs have gone up and revenue down.