The mayor is offering Elkhart County residents that live outside city limits but use city water and sewer services a new deal. The city has been in dispute with County some county residents over the sewer service agreement.
Members of the Valley View Hills Subdivision has been fighting their sewer agreement with the city for year. On Friday, the mayor presented a new plan to them and other County residents getting sewer and water from the city.
Under the Compact Agreement, residents pay a fee equal to 75% of what their property taxes would be if they were in the city limits. The residents say that's too high, and on Friday Mayor Dick Moore agreed with them.
The mayor has submitted a new proposal he is calling PILOT (Payment In Lieu Of Taxes). That will cost 50% of what the residents property taxes would be. The mayor says this more accurately charges residents for the services they are receiving.
Nineteen Valley View Hills residents refused to sign the original compact agreement earlier in the month. The city had threatened to shutoff their water, but intervention from Elkhart County officials kept that from happening.
Though Mayor Moore says he will stay within the law, this is his final offer on the matter.
