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CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – Wausau is one of several communities that is part of a water pollution settlement with 3M. The city is scheduled to get about $5-million, after legal fees, for PFAS contamination in the city’s drinking water.
The money would be paid out over eight years.
Tomorrow night the city will consider selling its settlement payments to an investment firm based in Puerto Rico, They will collect the 3M payout over the next eight years, In return, they’ll give the city a one-time lump-sum payment immediately. The city will get about a half-million dollars less than it otherwise would.
This is the kind of deal that cities that are strapped for cash make.
And, in Wausau, this type of one-time payout will immediately spark a debate: should the money just be spent? Or should it be used to offset the city’s sky-high water bills?
Of course, if you are a customer of the Wausau Water Works – that money is yours. Your quarterly water bill is sky high because the city added a very expensive filtration system to its new water treatment plant. Forever chemicals are now filtered down to zero, but at tremendous cost to you and me.
But Wausau’s city council, already big spenders, will have other ideas. A one-time windfall could be used for other things. For instance, it could be used to avoid a referendum – that will likely be defeated by the voters this spring – to fund 11 firefighter-paramedics. The city made a horrible budgeting decision three years ago to fund those positions through a COVID grant. That money runs out next year. If they can get away with it, the city council would gladly take money that should be used for water-rate relief, and spend it to cover up for a horrible budgeting decision. Mayor Diny’s plan, which would keep four of the paramedic positions funded, hasn’t even been debated.
Wausau residents should make a clear stand now: Water settlement money should be used only to lower our water rates.
Chris Conley
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