Editor:

For the second time this year and third time in less than two years, the Antioch City Council raised our taxes on sewer, water and garbage service.

In September, 2008, they raised our sewer and water rates by over 8 percent over two years. Then this year, they raised our garbage rates 26 percent. But, if you don’t want that increase, you’re forced into a smaller can.

Then on June 22, on a 3-1 vote with Brian Kalinowski absent and Reggie Moore voting no (more on that later) the council voted to raise our water rates 52 percent and sewer rates 22 percent over the next five years. That’s a total of 65 percent between 2008-14 on water alone.

So if your water bill is $100 a month now, it will be $152 in five years.

Former Councilman Manny Soliz, another citizen and I got up and spoke against the latest rate increases.

Councilman Moore wasn’t really opposed to it. He just wanted to raise our rates for two years, by 25 percent not for five years.

But, whether it’s a 25 percent or 52 percent increase, with our residents hurting with high unemployment and reduced income, this is not the time to be raising all these taxes.

Allen Payton, Antioch