As previously reported, residential and business consumers on the Town of Jonesboro Water System can expect their water costs to rise. The good news though, is that thanks to extended negotiations between Jonesboro Mayor J. “Spike” Harris and the Louisiana Rural Water Association (LRWA) a compromise has been reached reducing the impact. 

In review, over the past decade water consumers of the Jonesboro Water System has been billed a flat estimated rate of usage due to the inability of actual usage being able to be obtained due to the malfunctioning of the water meter system in place. This has caused the town to experience serious deficiencies in revenues that should have been accrued during that time.

To help make up the difference, the LRWA has stepped in yearly but earlier this year Jonesboro was told that no longer would the LRWA “bail out” the town and that it was time to “stand on it’s own feet”. After further study, the LRWA stated that in order to make the Jonesboro Water System financially functional that an increase of $20.00 per month to the monthly cost being billed to consumers needed to be applied or it could affect the town’s ability to receive future funding. 

Citing that such a large increase would cause an undue burden on consumers, Mayor Harris asked the LRWA to consider implementing a staggered increase over time. The result was that it was agreed that beginning on January 1, 2025 an increase in the amount of $10.00 per month would be implemented with an additional increase of $10.00 per month beginning on January 1, 2026. Mayor Harris also had a clause in the agreement added that no increase in 2026 would take place if the new system and water rate study proved that revenue was sufficiently being acquired.

“I am very appreciative of the LRWA for recognizing that we are moving forward to being financially viable in this area and lessening the burden that such a large increase would have put on our residents,” said Harris. 

Recently, the Town of Jonesboro was awarded a $1.6 million dollar grant by the state of Louisiana for the purchase and placement of new water meters for consumers along with a 20 year warranty on the system. 

“We owe a big debt of gratitude to out Representative, Jack McFarland, for his assistance in getting this money earmarked for us,” added Harris. “Not only did he orchestrate us getting the funds, this also comes without a “match” in funding that is normally required to receive this type of grant.” 

The “match” that Harris alluded to is the amount of money, usually a percentage of the grant amount ranging anywhere from 5 – 40%, that a town or entity normally has to come up to be eligible to receive funding such as this.

Board of Aldermen Meeting

At the regularly scheduled meeting of the Town of Jonesboro Board of Aldermen, held on August 13th, Ordinance 2024-007 was introduced which provides the particulars of the new water rate increase. This was unanimously agreed upon by the five member panel of James Ginn, Nia Johnson, Robbie Siadek, Robert Hunter, and Devin Flowers. Procedure calls for the stated increase to be legally posted for a prescribed period after which the Board of Aldermen will vote to implement the action. 

In additional action, the resignation of Jonesboro Town Clerk / Tax Collector, Tatjana Morris, was accepted and Office Administrator, Catrice Hudson, was given signature authority. A rezoning application from commercial to residential by C&J Livestock was also approved.