Commissioners Court increase utility connection fee to $1,000
By: Jose G. Landa
Copyright 2013 Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.
Maverick County Commissioners Court unanimously approved to increase the Maverick County fee for connecting utilities from $275 to $1,000 at their regular meeting held on Tuesday, October 16, 2013 at the Commissioners Courtroom in Eagle Pass, Texas.
Maverick County Commissioner of Precinct 1 Jerry Morales stated County residents tear up the County’s streets and sidewalks when they connect utilities to their real properties. Morales cited that the current County utility fee of $275 does not cover the County’s actual costs of doing the connection of utilities, the labor costs, and the repairing of the streets and sidewalks after connecting the utilities.
Maverick County Road and Bridge Department Supervisor Ernesto Guevara informed Commissioners that the proposed fee of $1,000 was necessary for the county to cover its labor and materials costs of tearing and repairing county streets and sidewalks each time a county resident connects a utility to their real property within the county.
Commissioner Jerry Morales stated that the proposed increase to the $1,000 utility connection fee was similar to that of the City of Eagle Pass.
Maverick County Judge David Saucedo queried how would the county enforce compliance with this new proposed $1,000 utility connection fee. Commissioner Jerry Morales suggested that the county provide the county resident a receipt for the utility connection fee and then they have to present it to, for example, the City of Eagle Pass Water Works and Sewer System before they connect the resident’s water and/or sewer to their real property.
Maverick County Code Enforcement Officer Damien Gutierrez advised Commissioners Court that the county is working together with the City of Eagle Pass Water Works and Sewer System in developing this policy and its implementation and enforcement.
Commissioner Jose Luis Rosales of Precinct 3 asked if the Maverick County Sheriff’s Department could assist to enforce the new policy after working hours when the Maverick County Code Enforcement Department is closed. Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber replied that he would look into the possibility of the Sheriff’s Department enforcement of this new policy after hours.
Maverick County Judge David Saucedo noted that Maverick County needed to adopt this policy as soon as possible. After further discussion, Maverick County Commissioners Court unanimously approved to adopt the new $1,000 utility connection fee policy, increasing it from its previous $275.
Maverick County taxpayers will now have to pay this new $1,000 utility connection fee in addition to the $800 fee to the City of Eagle Pass Waterworks and Sewer System to be able to connect new utilities to real properties outside the city limits of Eagle Pass but within Maverick County.
