The first of several meetings on proposed water rate hikes in the Nevada Irrigation District is Tuesday evening. Rates for the vast majority of over 26-thousand customers would nearly double over the next five years, starting with a 25-percent increase in May. And one customer, Terry McLaughlin, says although a lot of information justifying the plan is available it’s still too vague for her…

McLaughlin says she’s been urging other ratepayers to mail in written protests, under the Proposition 218 process. But she says it’s a flawed system that will make it difficult to have enough protests equivalent to more than 50-percent of thousands of property owners…

The District says revenue has been lagging in recent years, as customers conserve more, although they say they still contibute a large subsidy to keep rates reasonable. Tonight’s meeting begins at 5:30 at the NID Board chambers. There’s another one in Placer County Thursday evening, with a location not listed. And Board Director Ricki Heck, who is already on record opposing the proposal, has scheduled an additional meeting at the Rood Center on April third. A final decision is expected to be made at an NID Board meeting scheduled for April 24th, when protest votes will be tallied.