by Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Dec 19/97) - Water bills will continue to include a $5 levy in the new year, but that may change before 1998 is done.

Ald. Cheryl Best brought up the issue of the levy at Monday's city council meeting to give the 1998 budget final approval. But a motion Best made to drop the levy and replace the $575,000 it generates with money taken out of the multi-purpose community centre budget received no support.

Ald. Robert Slaven said he, like most of council, shares Best's distaste for the levy, but said more time is needed to study alternatives to it.

"I'm not convinced now is the best time," said Slaven. "But it's not going to wait a year," he added, saying he hopes it would be reviewed within the next two or three months.

Ald. Blake Lyons agreed, emphasizing no one part of the budget can be altered without affecting another.

"You can't throw a rock into a pond without make a ripple or a wave, and we don't know which it will be yet," said Lyons.

Ald. Kevin O'Reilly reiterated a proposal he made to develop a more conservation-friendly rate structure that would generate the money the levy does now.

To remove the levy from water bills would simply shift the burden to taxpayers, argued Ald. Bob Brooks.

"With half as many taxpayers (as water-bill payers), they would have to pay twice as much," said Brooks.

Mayor Dave Lovell remained out of the discussion, except to present options to the water levy and note that he has opposed it for the last four years in a row.