Norwich Bulletin publishes column written by Incumbent Borough Warden

Column: Jewett City borough is run well
By CYNTHIA KATA - published April 24, 2007

I, Cynthia Kata, as warden of the borough of Jewett City am beginning to wonder whether any of the people running against me know anything at all about the borough. I am all for an open election, but learn about the job before you apply.

Residents are upset about the increase in the water bill. Guess what, the water company is private. We have absolutely nothing to say about its budget. The officials in Hartford set the rate. I spent many hours with attorney Richard Duda trying to change the minds of the people at the Department of Public Utilities in Hartford, but because we have the fire hydrants in the borough, we fall into what they call a fire district and the fee is set.

There were letters about the electric rates in the borough. In case you missed it, we have the lowest rates around. This is because the residents in the borough own the electric utility. If you save $15 per month on your electric bill, that comes to $180 per year. For an average homeowner, that pays your borough tax bill.

Because we have the hydrants in the borough, your home owners insurance is reduced based on how close you are to a hydrant. Believe me, you are closer to a hydrant than people out in the town. That alone should save you $100 per year or more.

Now onto the sewer authority. Does anyone remember when were had a moratorium on building by the state. Then it was going to make us update our old sewer plant. This was going to cost the people in the borough $7 million. Through the town officials at that time and Joe Dudek and his commissioners, we applied for grants. The state told us if we could make the project a tri-town job (covering three towns), it would fund us almost $18 million. The borough would still own the plant, but we had to service three towns.

This went through. Lisbon paid any expense incurred to tie in and now it pays for any dumping into our plant. Same thing with Griswold.

When we first went on-line running the plant, we were told it would cost between $5 and $9 per cube. We decided to go with the $5, but after the first year, we found out it should have been the $7.

Once the new commercial projects go in on Route 164 and the houses on Pleasant View, it will be more money coming in.

I have one more thing to say. Since I have been warden, the mill rate has gone from 3.5 to 2.5 and held for eight years. No other municipality I know can say that.