Let’s start by stating the obvious: village of Fredonia water rates are already too high. Trustee James Lynden wants to make them more affordable to village users by removing the base rate and charging strictly by the gallon.

It sounds like a reasonable idea until you consider how Lynden then wants to punish the businesses — and state entities such as the State University of New York at Fredonia– that are using the bulk of the water. “For far too long, the smaller users of this village, which are the majority, have been subsidizing the larger consumers,” Lynden said.

That is absolutely false. Lynden is forgetting the recent history of why Fredonia’s rates are so high. Part of the problem begins with the village itself.

We’re sorry we have to bring this up again, but when Carriage House — formerly Red Wing — operated until 2015, it paid the largest portion of the village water rates. When it exited, there was a huge gap that needed to be made up. These costs were then passed along to all users of the water system, not just the remaining major village industry.

Ironically, Lynden also is a proponent for a new Brooks-TLC Hospital in Fredonia. If that does come to fruition, his proposal will be penalizing an already fiscally strapped organization that has lost $50 million in recent years by passing on those higher rates.

If Fredonia really wanted lower water costs to its users, it needs to work closer with the North County Water District. It is trying to do that, which we applaud.

Lynden, however, is doing what elected officials do best: looking at the small picture. Businesses are already struggling and do not need to be additionally penalized by the village for water usage. AgriAmerica, which has been open for five years, has voiced its concern regarding the proposal.

High rates for water and sewer were one of the reasons ConAgra pulled the plug in this region. Past and current village leaders, of course, will never admit it, because that would mean they played a key role in damaging the local economy and driving away 250 jobs.

There is no doubt that inflation is hurting everyone. As for passing on costs to major employers and businesses in the village, we certainly do not need to go down this road again.