Rapid Response: The Unreported Truth Behind Glendale's Major Water Rate Hikes

The Glendale City Council recently approved major rate increases across Glendale Water & Power (GWP) utility services, impacting residential, commercial, and multifamily ratepayers across the city.

While official mailers and presentations framed these adjustments as modest, multi-year rate steps necessitated by clean energy transitions and imported water prices, financial audit records tell an entirely different story.

Key findings from our independent financial review include: 1. Hidden General Fund Transfers: An estimated $20M+ to $25M annually is siphoned out of ratepayer utility revenues and transferred directly into the City General Fund to cover rising municipal overhead. Ratepayers are effectively paying a stealth municipal tax without voter referendum. 2. Compounding Volumetric Tiers: The tiered billing structure heavily penalizes multigenerational working families and renters, creating cumulative cost increases exceeding 18% over the multi-year schedule. 3. Private Contractor Overrides: Multimillion-dollar sole-source consulting and engineering contracts continue to be authorized without open competitive bidding or citizen oversight.

Transparent Glendale calls on the City Council to halt unvetted transfers, initiate a forensic cost-of-service audit, and give Glendale residents a direct voice before additional utility surcharges take effect.