Easton's water lease may not add much cash
Source: By Tracy Jordan, The Morning Call (PA), December 5, 2006
Easton Mayor Phil Mitman has promoted the lease of the city's water system as a way to generate a minimum $2million in annual revenues and eliminate the need to borrow $20 million for a water plant upgrade. But a closer look at the arrangement with Easton Suburban Water Authority whittles down those numbers significantly. …….. Skeptics of the plan, mostly city employees who don't want to see the labor union downsized, criticize the lease agreement as an easy solution to balance the budget and question whether the city has considered all the consequences. ''It's like the city is pushing this through without looking at other alternatives,'' said Missy Corrado, president of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 447. ''We don't believe that the city will receive all that money they are talking about.''