Several Elkin residents who received their water bills over the last two weeks were shocked to see the charges they had incurred with the new minimum water bill in place.

The bill also reflected the separate charge for sewer with the new Yadkin Valley Sewer authority in place.

Kelly Hembree, Elkin's billing and collections clerk said that several customers had commented, and there had been several calls with concerns over the amount of the total bill and the minimum bill charge now in place.

"Some of the complaints were about the fact that they (the individual customers), weren't using the minimum amount of water they are now being charged for," Hembree said. "This is the first month of the new billing and it's a little hard to figure an average for a residential customer, but the best guesstimate I can give is the average customer uses 4,500 gallons at an approximate cost of $60.37 with the sewer cost and garbage fee added."

Susan White of the YVSA has not received any calls from customers with concerns about the new billing.

"We haven't had any calls about the new bills that I'm aware of," White said.

Joe Ipock, longtime resident of Elkin is one customer that is very displeased with the minimum bill.

"I have talked to numerous people over the past two weeks that are in agreement with me on this issue," Ipock said. "It is a disgrace to tax an essential service (water), like you do cigarettes when raising the property taxes by just a few pennies would have solved this problem and been much less stressful.

"i don't know what my family's option will be but to cancel my mother's regular doctor's appointments," he said. "Our water bill went up 69 percent. Our August bill was $14.22 and with the new billing in place, September's is $24. and that's just the water. We used 700 gallons but are having to pay for 2,000. The board of commissioners has fashioned the rope to hang themselves at the polls in the next two election cycles if they do not moderate on this issue.

"This will be a crushing blow to a fragile economy," Ipock said. "I think that the residents of Elkin need to call the commissioners and complain. Let them know that the financial impact of their individual lives is one they (the commissioners), had no right to make, when solid planning could have prevented this. I don't think residents need to complain to the girls that collect the money down at the town hall, don't take it out on them, they had no part in the negligent decisions of the town board of commissioners."

Elkin's Town Manger Payne responded to the complaints.

"The board of commissioners discussed this issue thoroughly," Payne said. "These meetings were open to the public and the decision process was reported at every point. Residents who had complaints and/or suggestions were welcome to present their ideas. But, no one attended any of the meetings where the water bill was discussed nor any of the budget workshops, which were posted as open meetings also.

The town had no regular water fund and the deficit annually for the cost of water, water pipe repairs and upgrades was being paid from the general fund. The minimum water bill change is one that many municipalities across the state are changing to. In Elkin, this will allow the deficit to decrease with the funds paid through the water charge."

The minimum water bill charge is $10 with a volumetric charge of $3.30. An additional $3.30 is charged for each 2,000 gallons after the first 2,000 gallons are used.