HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree concedes that the city’s sewer rates will have to be raised to help pay for a new wastewater treatment system that the city has to have operating by 2017.
But DuPree said annual hikes that city council approved Feb. 18 for the next four years were too steep for many city residents to bear.
DuPree delivered a letter to the Office of the City Council Clerk on Thursday that said he had vetoed the ordinance that would increase the minimum sewer rate 150 percent this fiscal year.
The Hattiesburg American reports (https://hatne.ws/1crua3f ) the council can override DuPree’s veto, but it would require a super-majority vote of at least 4-1.
DuPree said any rate increase should be paired with an accompanying revenue stream.
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Information from: The Hattiesburg American, https://www.hattiesburgamerican.com
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