Why can’t you just cut the budget to make up the difference and not raise rates?

The City cut expenses where feasible, but the cuts do not come close to making up the deficit. For example, non-fixed costs (electricity, treatment chemicals, etc.) are cut as the lower volume of water is treated. Basically, every $ 1 loss in water sales due to lower consumption reduces discretionary expenditures by only $.25. Fixed costs (labor, debt service on bonds, required maintenance) remain roughly the same, regardless of the water used.

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1. How does the long term reuse project work?
2. Did the City try cloud seeding?
3. Why can’t you just cut the budget to make up the difference and not raise rates?
4. So, why can’t the City cut fixed costs?
5. What are some of the main reasons water rates have gone up?
6. Are you going to do anything to minimize the impact to water users?
7. Why does this seem to only be happening in Wichita Falls?
8. Why is my water bill still pretty high?
9. How do I read my water bill?
10. What is a CCF?
11. Why doesn’t the City use gallons instead of units?
12. Did the City wait too long to start looking for more water?
13. Is the City still looking at building Lake Ringgold?
14. Missed Opportunity to Dredge Lake Wichita
15. Why doesn’t the City use Lake Wichita as a water source?
16. What is the current cost to dredge Lake Wichita to make it a viable water source?
17. Why isn’t the City using its own heavy equipment on Lake Wichita right now while it’s low?
18. How much water does Castaway Cove use?
19. Why are the fines for water violations so much and who gets all the money?
20. What is the Water Resources Commission and what do they do?
21. I thought the City Council was making all water restriction decisions.
22. Why did this water shortage happen?
23. What is a Drought Plan?