“It really doesn’t do much good if the money goes back to repairing the irrigation system. I can’t use it. I’m paying for a service I have no choice to pay for, but I have no access to the benefits.”-Mary Fullmer, 77 year old school bus driver
The city of Gooding, Idaho, is charging residents $104.00 per year for an antiquated irrigation system that many don’t use, not even the mayor: “It’s an old and broken system. But we can’t stop charging people. I even have to pay the fee, and I don’t use the irrigation system either.”-Duke Morton, Gooding Mayor
Six years ago Mary Fullmer’s access to the irrigation system was cut off, when the city cemented over the pipes that connected her property to the system. Yet she still has to pay $104 per year.
Many city residents complain about the fee, and city officials claim they’re looking for an alternative, but they admit they don’t see it as a priority.