Russellville Mayor Gene Zick wants the citizens of Russellville to be aware of where the city is and where it will be going in the future while he is in office.

Zick said he realizes the recent raising of water rates has caused concern among citizens, but he doesn't want the public to get the wrong impression of what is going on and what the additional revenue will be spent on. Some of the following projects will require grant funding. Only the water/sewer projects will utilize the additional revenue collected from the rate increase.

Water and sewer rates for the city of Russellville went up 60 percent last month. The rate change resulted in part through an increase from the Logan Todd Regional Water Commission (LTRWC), which increased their charges by 40 cents per 1,000 gallons. LTRWC supplies 12 separate entities including Russellville with water.

The city adopted the 40-cent raise passed on by LTRWC and then added more, claiming they needed more revenue to pay their bills and complete overdue projects such as sewering Manshart subdivision, placing a water tower on Hospital Hill for needed pressure and fire protection, and replacing sewer lines on Johnson Street.

Zick points out not only the city's current debt obligations in a nine-page report given to the News-Democrat & Leader but also a breakdown of departments and objectives which he says he wants to accomplish.

According to Zick's calculations, the city owes $15 million in water, sewer and general fund debt which must be paid. Water and sewer debt total $6.5 million with general fund debt topping out at $8.5 million.

Zick broke down the debt in his report. Some of the things owed in water and sewer include the purchase of Spa Lake by the city in 1972 ($17,000), sewer treatment plant expansion in 1998 ($4.2 million), an I&I camera used to video sewer lines ($43,000) in 2006 and new water meters in 2006 ($190,000). These are just a few.

Some of the general fund debt includes the Carpenter Center ($1.2 million) in 1997, a fire truck in 2004 ($68,500), property to expand the cemetery in 2006 ($167,000) and police vehicles in 2006 ($51,000). These are just a few.

A condensed version of what Zick would like to accomplish in each department is as follows:

Water/Wastewater