Now that the city and the Northshore Utility District have come to consensus on the $2.1 million to be collected from all the customers in the new city limits, and how much that translates to in a percentage charge for the district’s customers, 12.84 percent, we can move on to deciding if that is acceptable.

The city staff was good about explaining that the money added to utility bills is just one of their ways of paying for general government instead of putting the whole burden on the property taxes.

We may not see our property tax bill but we can’t miss the jump in our utility bill. The district and the city are taking several calls a day for an explanation.

I’m sure they are right that the average homeowner comes out ahead when all is added up.

There is one person, even though he was on the annexation committee, who has willingly listened to my concerns for the mid-year rise in the water and sewer bills of NUD, Toby Nixon.

He understands the spiraling rate increases every time the customers try to reduce their water use to save money. (The water is free, it’s the delivery that costs money, and that price never goes down.)

With 353 pending shutoff notices going out to Kirkland residents every billing cycle, someone out there is not happy about the city adding a tax to a basic-needs utility.

It would be good to have at least one council member who cares.

Margaret Wiggins, NUD Commissioner