Monterey residents react to Governor’s water tax

Governor Gavin Newsom is proposing a plan aimed at cleaning contaminated water in rural and low-income areas across the state.

But if you pay a water bill, he wants to tax you to help pay for it all.

Steven Whyte has lived in Monterey long enough to notice something about his water bills.

“They are unusually high. Yeah,I think ours is somewhere between $120 and $150 a month,” he said.

Every time it rains, Whyte can collect about 300 gallons of water himself using his bins. But during the dry season, he will rely on the peninsula’s water system, which means he would fall under the potential new tax that pays for cleaning water in areas nowhere near his home.

“They’re pretty much all around the state. Some are urban, some are Central Valley. It’s a combination of things,” said David Stoldt, the general manager of the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District.

Stoldt says this water tax would help fund the operation and maintenance of water systems in disadvantaged communities. About a million people living in the state do face issues with contaminated or dirty water through their tap.

But the tax would affect all water customers in California.

The average residential water customer on the Monterey Peninsula could see about a 95 cent per month increase in their water bills.

“The controversy is taxing an essential service, water. We don’t tax basic food items, so there’s a lot of discussion yet to be had,” said Stoldt.

The tax is based on the water meter size, so big companies could see up to a $10 a month water tax.

But when it comes to paying more for water, residents in one Monterey neighborhood do not seem to mind.

“Some of the smaller cities or towns that have had contaminated water for a long time now, and they haven’t been able to do something about it,” said Andrew Gonzalez. “So I think maybe the state has to step in and help out.”

“If they’re planning a small tax, a dollar or five dollars a month per household, and they’re going to put it to some good use, then hopefully they’ll spend it wisely,” said Whyte.

Governor Newsom has called this water crisis a moral disgrace and a medical emergency. But this plan might a tough sell for some democrats who do not want to put on new taxes.