Residents of Henry shocked at 30 percent water bill increase
HENRY, Tenn. — An increase in the water bill for residents of Henry leaves them in shock, and many are disappointed. Starting next month, residents will see a 30 percent increase in their bill and many already pay over $100 each month. Residents like Wendell Owen said the productivity of the city will continue to fade if the city does not get a handle on the prices. “I’ve got four children and 10 grandchildren. If something doesn’t come around here to Paris, McKenzie, or Henry, what are they going to do? They have to work somewhere,” said Owen. Residents said the water bill hike stems from a $2 million lawsuit by the city’s sewage contractor, plus the requirement to have a sink fund in place. The sink fund could pay for the water system when it needed to be replaced, but now they say the whole city is suffering. “It’s a shock because the light bill’s high enough, besides the water bill keeps going up. For senior citizens, it’s kind of awful when everybody’s on a fixed income,” explained resident Minnie Wilkins. Owen explained they are trying to get business to open in Henry County so that jobs can come to the are. But to get businesses interested, they need to fix the water problem. “For us to be entertaining to business, we need some of these things to get under control. It’s almost a must,” said Owen. Residents said they fear if the town does not get out of debt, the city of Henry will be a ghost town.
