INSIDE TUCSON BUSINESS: Mon., Jan. 26, 2009

OPINION: It's about time Tucson Water got tough on connection fees and rates

By Hugh Holub

Tucson Water is refusing to add new water connections outside the Tucson city limits. The city is also considering raising water connection fees. It is about time Tucson started paying attention to the relationship of its water utility and growth in the region.

Since the 1960s, Tucson sought to monopolize water service in eastern Pima County as a water management effort. To that end, Tucson extended its water utility service throughout the Catalina Foothills and into the northwest. The result is more than 100,000 people living in those areas are getting water from Tucson, but refuse to be annexed into the city.

This has a massive negative impact on state revenue-sharing for Tucson because only incorporated cities and towns get the lion's share of that money. Thus, the residents of the unincorporated areas of Pima County cost the region millions of dollars annually because they don't want to be in a city or town.

While Tucson has generally fought the incorporation of new towns and Pima County seeks to block towns having their own sewer systems, a fundamental change is needed in the region regarding water and sewer service.

FULL OPINION: http://www.azbiz.com/articles/2009/01/26/opinion/columnists/guest_opinion/doc497a1768dc997472229818.txt