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This concludes my coverage of the GLWA Board of Directors Meeting and Public Hearing on the Proposed FY 2027 and FY 2028 Biennial Budget Request and Proposed FY 2027 Schedule of Revenues and Charges.

Board members have moved to adjourn the meeting at 4:47 p.m.

CEO Report Executive Summary:

The CEO's report is now underway.

Resolutions 9A, 9B, and 9C have been unanimously approved:

9A: Resolution Adopting the FY 2027 & FY 2028 Biennial Budget
9B: Resolution Regarding Approval of FY 2027 Schedule of ServiceCharges
9C: Resolution Regarding Approval of the FY 2027 through FY 2031Capital Improvement Plan

A board member currently speaking said that the 4% adjustment cap on charges ended in 2025, but issues like watermain breaks are in dire need of attention.

The board member currently speaking (unidentifiable) is acknowledging that the board is listening, and has listened, to all resident concerns about affordability. Although she said infrastructure and flooding has been a major concern.

Proposal Summary:

Budget presentations and review sessions:

The New Business portion is now underway.

The public comment portion has ended at 4:15 p.m.

A member of the community who has reached their time limit is being removed from the podium for continuing to speak beyond the allotted time.

The current speaker, a resident of Flint, said she would like to know where the money from rate increases is going, since residents are still dealing with undrinkable water.

A representative from the city of Ferndale is explaining that, essentially, the same financial strain that GLWA is claiming to experience is common among residents. She said if rate increases must occur, there must be much better pacing and transparency.

Public comment remains ongoing three hours into today's meeting.

At least two callers have now mentioned that the cost of water has increased by more than 180% since the 1980s, while wage growth has not kept pace.

The current speaker is expressing that increasing water costs compromises the maternal health of residents and is a violation of reproductive rights. She's asked for complete fiscal transparency before the board ever asks for an increase.

The current caller, from Spectacle TV, is saying he doesn't mind if rates go up, as long as GLWA is taking a financial hit, too. He says every time there is an increase, GLWA should be lowering its expenses by the same rate, by cutting admin, vendor, or other costs.

Mayor McDonald from Highland Park is now speaking on the call. She says residents are paying double what other small cities are paying for water, and residents are stretched to the limit, especially vulnerable populations.

The current caller says Flint water bills are connected to their property taxes, and when not paid, could lead to worse crises, like foreclosure and homelessness.

A caller from Highland Park says the state of Michigan needs a comprehensive affordability plan.

The current caller says the organization should not be using residents as ATMs, stating, "We don't have it." He proposed that members of the board should go on furlough, operate fewer days a week, or go digital, but to stop turning to residents for additional finances.

More than two hours into the meeting, Michigan residents continue to express their frustration and opposition to the proposed rate hikes. Several more participants are expected to make comments.

The current speaker, an attorney from Farmington Hills, echoed the sentiment that merit increases at GLWA should be put on hold if it means refusing to increase water rates.

Chief Council on behalf of Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib is expressing that public hearings have recently seemed to be merely a box to check rather than part of the democratic process, and that residents deserve relief from price hikes.

The president of the Flint Community School Board is currently speaking, saying she feels this increase may impact attendance at schools.

Flint city leaders have made a point to vocalize their disapproval of the proposed rate hikes, including Treasurer Amanda Trujillo and Councilwoman Tonya Burns.