HILLSBORO, Texas (KXXV) — While everything is going up, one more bill could increase for Hillsboro residents. The city announced that some could see rates increase by $12 or more.
- Jose Flores, a Hillsboro resident, has already seen his water bill increase and can't pay more.
- During the October 21st city council meeting, if the ordinance is approved, the new water rates will take effect in December.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Jose Flores, a longtime Hillsboro resident. During the past few months, he has seen his water bill jump from $84 to $120 — and it's just the beginning.
On Tuesday, the City of Hillsboro announced on social media a 20% increase in water rates.
Flores said he’s already facing hardship.
“It impacts the people who are on disability. We can’t just keep bringing out money because we don’t have enough money to make it for the rest of the month. When you really mean living paycheck to paycheck…I really am living paycheck to paycheck," said Jose Flores, a Hillsboro resident.
That’s not all that Flores is facing.
“I’m on my third time with cancer now," Flores said.
The City of Hillsboro needs to replace old water lines that continue to cause the city trouble, all while paying off a large bill from Aquilla water.
Our 25News reporter, Chantale Belefanti, sat down with the City Manager, Megan Henderson, who said increasing water rates was a last option. The city was recently denied a grant to help fix its water issues.
“This isn’t easy. This is not the first thing we tried. We didn’t just go and try to get the money from them and instead of trying something else. This is the else…this is the after we tried the other things," said City Manager of Hillsboro Megan Henderson.
Henderson said she understands it will be hard for those like Flores and many others.
“Even though it's difficult at what we would pledge to our citizens is that we will not give up. We will not stop, we will not take the easy way out…we are going to get through this and we are going to make the system better," Henderson said.
This could all impact Flores' cancer treatment.
“So if all my bills go up, I don’t have the gas money to go back and forth to Waco three times a week,” Flores said.
