Water Rate Hike Proposed

The city's Water Board is proposing an $8-a-month increase in costs, the biggest spike in 16 years, to go into effect next month. But some city council members say it's not right to move that quickly.

REPORTER: Brooklyn Councilman Simcha Felder says he supports putting liens on properties with delinquent water bills and letting that process play itself out before hiking rates:

FELDER: Don't tell us that we need a lien sale and then propose a 14.5 percent increase on the day the lien sale is supposed to go into effect.

REPORTER: A Water Board spokesperson says income from the lien sale is needed to keep the city's water system afloat for the current fiscal year, and that it couldn't wait any longer to get approval for a rate hike.