Maalot Mayor Shlomo Buchbut, in his capacity as head of the nation’s Union of Local Authorities, has undertaken the battle to prevent a planned major rate hike in water costs for public buildings.

Buchbut explains just what “public buildings” means, including local government city halls, community centers, mikvaos, shuls and yeshivas.

Buchbut added that the government has “gone crazy” this year. Yes, there is a water shortage he acknowledges, but the reaction is simply out of proportion and at the end of the day, increasing water costs over 300% will backfire since mosdot simply cannot afford it.

He lashed out at the national government, which continues to boast its abiding by pledges not to increase taxes, citing in lieu of a tax increase, the government is raising anything it can get its hands on.

Buchbut reports negotiations have been ongoing with some three months, and earlier this week, he met with Interior Ministry Eli Yishai in the hope of driving the point home, that their simply is no room in local government budgets and budgets of non-profits to absorb such a staggering increase in water rates.

He promises that if the union’s pleas continue falling on deaf ears, all municipalities around the country will band together and unify in the battle against the unwanted and unacceptable decree.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)