Malliotakis Testimony on Proposed NYC Water Rate Increase
Editor’s note: Staten Island’s borough president has also weighed in on this important issue. Similarly to the proposed increase to local property taxes, he was not in favor of this proposal either. As with many other homeowner related taxes, this one disproportionately affect middle and working class New Yorkers, and this is just as true for Staten Islanders, many of whom fit that category. This hearing took place yesterday morning, and was open to members of the public on Staten Island who wanted to make their voices heard: Water Rate Hearings are happening in every borough & are open to the public. The Staten Island hearing will be today, June 3rd, at 6pm. Doors open at 5:30. Bernikow JCC 1466 Manor Road Staten Island, NY 10314.
The following meeting is upcoming, and was announced by NYC DEP: When it rains, pollutants can get washed into our waterways. That’s why stormwater management is so important! Learn more at the MS4 (municipal separate storm sewer system) Annual Report Public Meeting on June 17, 2026, from 6–7:30pm, in person AND virtually. Please register in advance: https://on.nyc.gov/4ud9BVg
(NEW YORK, NY) — Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis submitted the following testimony to the New York City Water Board opposing the Fiscal Year 2027 proposed water and wastewater rate increase:
As prepared for submission to the New York City Water Board:
Members of the New York City Water Board
Re: Fiscal Year 2027 Proposed Water and Wastewater Rate Increase
Dear Members of the Board:
New Yorkers are facing an affordability crisis. Homeowners, seniors on fixed incomes, and small businesses continue to struggle under the weight of rising property taxes, utility costs, government fees, mandates, tolls, and other burdens imposed by city and state government.
As a Member of Congress, I helped secure more than $150 billion in landmark federal infrastructure funding benefiting New York. If ratepayers are now being asked to absorb additional costs to maintain and improve critical infrastructure, they deserve a clear explanation as to why these increases remain necessary.
A proposed increase of up to 6 percent may appear modest on paper, but for many families it is simply one more burden on top of the growing financial pressures already imposed by city and state government. Before asking homeowners, seniors, and small businesses I represent to pay more, government should demonstrate the same fiscal discipline in spending taxpayer dollars.
I urge the Board to reconsider this proposed increase and demonstrate that every available federal, state, and local funding source, as well as every reasonable cost-saving measure, has been exhausted before imposing additional costs on the people I represent. Water is a necessity of daily life, and no one should be asked to pay more for a service they cannot live without. The residents of Staten Island and southern Brooklyn cannot continue to serve as the City’s fallback funding source whenever City Hall decides it wants more money.
Sincerely,
Nicole Malliotakis
Member of Congress
Banner Image: NYC Sewer during a rainstorm. Image Credit – NYC DEP
Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis
Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis was sworn in on January 3, 2021 to represent Staten Island and Southern Brooklyn. Prior to serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis was elected to the New York State Assembly on November 2, 2010, defeating a two-term incumbent. In the Assembly, she served as Minority Whip and the ranking minority member of the Assembly Committee on Governmental Employees. For five terms, Congresswoman Malliotakis fought to restore ethics in Albany, expand transit service in her district, improve programs for senior citizens, reform education and improve New York’s economic climate by reducing the tax burden on small businesses and residents. A cornerstone of her tenure was helping her community recover and rebuild following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. In addition to advocating for these same issues in Washington, Congresswoman Malliotakis is acutely focused on securing New York’s fair share of federal mass transit funding, which would go towards expanding transportation services and easing traffic congestion, while also championing public safety by supporting our nation’s law enforcement officers. Congresswoman Malliotakis is the daughter of immigrants, her father from Greece and her mother a Cuban exile of the Castro dictatorship. She is currently the only Republican member representing New York City in Congress, representing a district spanning the boroughs of Brooklyn and Staten Island. She is a passionate advocate for animal rights and the strengthening of animal cruelty laws, and in her spare time, enjoys spending time with her chihuahua, Peanut.