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Monday, March 11, 2013 | 4:50 p.m.
Sen. Michael Roberson
Pat Mulroy
The Southern Nevada Water Authority doesn’t want the “oversight” that Sen. Michael Roberson, R-Henderson, is proposing for the public utility.
Roberson introduced a bill Monday that puts the SNWA under the authority of the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, a move that he says increases transparency and accountability to the people.
The water authority, however, issued a statement Monday saying the bill does just the opposite.
“The SNWA believes that decisions about the delivery and pricing of water to citizens and businesses in Nevada are best made by local elected officials, for whom these decisions also apply,” said Scott Huntley, spokesman for the water authority. “Keeping these decisions at the local level allows the greatest opportunity for those impacted by the decisions to have a voice in them. It is interesting that this legislation only applies to water agencies in Southern Nevada.”
Pat Mulroy, SNWA general manager, told legislators last week that 29 of 30 elected officials voted for an infrastructure surcharge in 2012.
Roberson’s bill would require the SNWA to obtain approval from the Public Utilities Commission, a three-member board appointed by Gov. Brian Sandoval, for any water rate increase on business or commercial customers of the utility.
The bill also would require the Public Utilities Commission to appoint a hearing officer to investigate the need for a proposed rate increase and issue a decision approving or declining the rate increase.
“Many in the Southern Nevada community believe the process failed to allow an adequate opportunity for public input,” Roberson said in a statement. “Southern Nevada residents and businesses will likely face future significant rate increases. This legislation will ensure that those rate increases occur in as fair and equitable manner as possible in a completely open process.”
Mulroy testified this past week that there was “massive public outreach” about the rate increases in 2012.
Roberson’s bill has support from Sens. David Parks, D-Las Vegas; Pete Goicoechea, R-Eureka; Mark Manendo, D-Las Vegas; Scott Hammond, R-Las Vegas; Barbara Cegavske, R-Las Vegas; James Settelmeyer, R-Minden; Joyce Woodhouse, D-Henderson; Joe Hardy, R-Boulder City; and Mark Hutchinson, R-Las Vegas.
If the PUC can be judged by how they handle NV Energy one would think SNWA sould be jumping up and down with joy for this.
Somebody needs to oversee what the SNWA does, and they can start by firing Pat Mulroy for still feeding us the water shortage lies when she knows it's all politics.Does everybody know that Mexico gets more water than Las Vegas Valley?, thats disgusting in itself.Maybe the State will reveal the true water levels in Lakes Powell and Mojave and let people wonder why Lake Mead isn't so high.
SNWA is an empire without proper oversight by an elected body.
Just take at look a their labor cost....look at any position over there and compare that to any city, county or state position.....they are always like 20% above anybody else.
I believe many of their middle level managers make equal or more than directors at other local government entities.
None of that cadillac labor cost brings cost savings elsewhere.
Can they claim one program that is more efficient than other water authorities?
Everything that they do cost more. Their projects are always months, years late and tons of over what was estimated.
They could not even come with a proper plan to gouge the business owners. It was a total mess.
They need to bring their cost down.
The cadillac labor ain't buying anything special.
When, or will the lake tap tunnel be complete for the 3rd straw? Is the tunnel boring machine moving or idle?