The city had no choice but to build the combined sewer overflow system now taking shape beneath its streets. What Fall River can decide is how to repay the loans that funded the costly project.
The answer has been thoroughly debated by the two mayoral candidates. City Councilor Cathy Ann Viveiros says she’ll maintain the controversial CSO/Stormwater fee implemented by current Mayor Robert Correia. Her competitor William Flanagan says he’ll repeal the fee, which he calls the "rainwater tax," and suggests the city restructure its loans to save money. 
Terrance Sullivan, the city’s public utilities director, says restructuring those loans won’t have the desired effect. Only six of the 18 loans issued for the project are controlled by the state, according to information Sullivan provided. The rest were issued through the state revolving fund. Interest rates on the city-held loans range from 4.28 percent to 4.85 percent. Five of the six [...]

Original post by Will Richmond