Religious leaders to hold citywide meeting to unify over water fee fight

Bills may put some church programs on chopping block

By Chinta Strausberg

 

The Interfaith Coalition to Restore the Water Fee Exemption for Religious Institutions is holding a citywide meeting on September 27^th on the West Side to unite all faiths around the battle to get the city to restore the water fee exemption that some clergy say these water bills and installation of water meters could put some church programs on the chopping block.

They are putting all 50 aldermen on notice that they have to look at the religious institutions “as a necessity” in Chicago given their track record of helping the city in times of need like the recent school strike, said Ald. Leonard DeVille. “We have the city’s back, but the city doesn’t have the church’s back,’ he said during a meeting held earlier this week at the St. Paul Church of God in Christ Community Development Ministries, Inc., 4550 S. Wabash Ave., where Elder Kevin Anthony Ford officiates.

Their next meeting of the coalition will be held on Thursday, September 27, 2012, at 6 p.m., at the JLM Abundant Life Community Center 2622 West Jackson Blvd., headed by Dr. Johnny Miller. Religious leaders are being asked to bring signed letters in support of restoring the water fee exemption they need to maintain their social services their parishioners and community residents depend on in times of need.

They intend to deliver those signed letters to the aldermen as a show of support and to attend the Finance Committee’s budget hearings where they are demanding that an amendment to the ordinance calling for the restoration of the water fee exemption be placed on the agenda.

“Not only will we lose our social services, but they will have to be made up for by the city and to the extent that these people who work for us for free if the city has to take them over, it would be a huge cost because the city would have to pay people to do it as opposed to the churches using volunteers,” said Tom Kennedy, Director of Real Estates Archdiocese of Chicago.

“This is an issue that affects every religious body in the city of Chicago from Anglicans to Zoroastrians because every major faith community has houses of worship here,” said Rev. Stan Davis, co-executive director of the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago, who said it is great that such a diverse body of religious leaders is working together on this issue.

The battle to restore the water fee exemption “not only brings us around an issue but more importantly brings us together across the lines because many of us don’t get a chance to meet each other, and it also brings together the west side and the south side to work together,” Davis said.

Asked how the water fee is affecting him, Rev. Davis said, “Personally, it doesn’t affect me but the congregations with whom I’m in touch has a dramatic effect.”

According to Davis, it cost about $1,000 to install a meter which is being demanded by the city; however, if there are repairs done if basements have asbestos, “it would be the congregations costs and that would be terrible because all of that will start cutting back on the ability of that church to minister effectively to the people in their communities whether that’s from youth programs, tutoring, senior services, meals….”

Agreeing was DeVille, who heads the Alpha Temple Baptist Church. He said if religious leaders have to install a meter outside of their buildings it could cost as much as $20,000. “Many of those churches are old and were not built for that….

“One pastor told me that the city wanted $1,000 for the meter plus he had a $1,300 water bill. That’s outrageous,” said DeVille referring to the city’s promise to provide the meters free along with a $1,000 labor fee.

“A lot of churches have retired people who are on monthly salaries. They are already tithing in the church to keep it going,” said DeVille who is also the former alderman of the 21^st Ward. He said many churches have social programs that help Chicagoans and that the city is not contributing to those programs.

“If we stop doing those social programs, the city would have to pick them up because it is a city project, not necessarily a church project,” said DeVille. He gave as an example the recent school strike and how the city asked the religious leaders to open their doors to the children. “We’re not going to turn the children down because we’re looking to pull the community together. “That also cost us more money in our water bills.”

“This creates an issue with the church because we have to have someone to manage the children,” he said. “They are volunteering for the city…. If the churches didn’t house the children, the city would have had to pay that bill.” He called the water fee bill “outrageous” given the services churches provide for the community.

“What’s the issue? Why fight the church when the church is in the community to help the community? If it helps the community, it helps the city and the state,” DeVille said.

“The community needs the church,” DeVille said calling the water fee “a burden.” “Most of our members are homeowners. They pay a water bill and then they come into the church and they are being taxed again,” DeVille stated. He likened that to being doubled taxed.

Also objecting to the churches now having to pay their water bills was Pastor Otis Anderson, who heads the Cathedral Baptist Church, 4821 S. Wabash, who said, “If I have to pay for water and install water meters, that expense will take away from our feeding programs, our after school programs….”

Dr. Leon Miller, pastor of Mt. Ebenezer Baptist Church, said imposing water bills on religious institutions “is an incorrect situation that we are trying to correct. We know that with God’s help, we will be able to correct the thing that was done that was hurting to the congregation ad the community. We do so much work in the community. I know they had not thought it out” prior to the City Council approving the ordinance.

Pastor Michael Eaddy, pastor of the Peoples Church of the Harvest, said, “It is very necessary that the clergy stand united with the Archdiocese and with various faith communities. This loss of the water exemption is affecting all of us and will inhibit us to continue to provide the services we have been doing free of charge to residents of our community.”

Eaddy said the mayor and the aldermen must revisit this new policy because “to place this on the churches will greatly inhibit us from fulfilling a passionate ministry and programs we want to extend to the community.

“My appeal is to every elected official to reconsider and be a part of rescinding this water fee exemption that has been removed,” said Eaddy.

Elder Ford said the coaltition would present its statement of facts to the Finance Committee headed by Ald. Edward M. Burke (14^th).

Chinta Strausberg is a Journalist of more than 33-years, a former political reporter and a current PCC Network talk show host. You can e-mail Strausberg at: Chintabernie@aol.com.