By Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick
Across Long Island, families are being squeezed by rising utility costs, whether it’s water, electricity or gas. Too many families are opening their bills from Liberty Water and wondering how they will keep up. Month after month, residents in private water districts are paying some of the highest rates in the state, often hundreds of dollars more per year than their neighbors who receive municipal water. Yet unlike most other expenses, customers can’t shop around for a better deal.
Water is a basic necessity, not a luxury, and no family should be punished simply because of where they live. Liberty’s customers have seen out-of-control rate hikes that strain household budgets. These aren’t isolated increases; they’re part of a pattern. While every utility faces infrastructure and maintenance costs, Liberty’s private ownership structure and profit margins mean their rates consistently run higher than municipally run systems. The problem is made worse by the fact that residents in these districts never chose Liberty, yet they are left to pay bills they cannot escape.
That’s why I have made reforming the way private water utilities operate one of my top priorities as a state senator. I am proud to co-sponsor bipartisan legislation that would allow private water utilities access to state and federal infrastructure funding, with the requirement that any such funds have a clear and definite purpose that benefits customers. Without that safeguard, there is no guarantee that relief would ever make it into the pockets of families struggling to keep up with their bills.
I also introduced legislation to eliminate the state’s special franchise tax on private water customers. Did you know that tax is a state-mandated surcharge that can account for nearly 30 percent of a Liberty customer’s bill? Think about that: Nearly one-third of what families pay each month isn’t for water and isn’t for infrastructure; it’s simply a state-mandated tax. Given that customers of municipal water systems aren’t required to pay it — which makes sense, since water is a fundamental necessity — why should Liberty customers? It’s unfair, it’s regressive and it needs to end.
Beyond water costs, I’ve also sponsored legislation that would require the state Public Service Commission to determine and disclose the true cost of complying with energy and environmental policies, and place a moratorium on related surcharges, taxes, fees and cost-bearing regulations for five years. While we all share the goal of protecting the environment, we cannot continue to push forward with sweeping energy mandates without being honest about what they will mean for ratepayers. Transparency is the first step toward accountability.
New Yorkers are already reeling from the PSC’s recent approval of multi-year gas and electric delivery rate hikes. Long Island gas customers will see bills climb nearly $60 a month by 2026 compared with 2024. When you add those increases on top of Liberty’s already sky-high water rates, the picture is clear: Families are being squeezed from every direction.
Through legislation like my bill to eliminate the special franchise tax, and the bill to mandate financial relief and greater transparency in energy mandates, we can start to rebalance the scales. Families on Long Island deserve relief and the peace of mind that comes from knowing their elected officials are fighting to hold utilities accountable.
At the end of the day, this isn’t just about numbers on a bill; it’s about real people. It’s about parents who shouldn’t have to decide between paying for water, keeping the lights on or putting food on the table. It’s about seniors on fixed incomes who deserve to age in place without the constant worry of their next utility bill.
Water is essential, and it must stay affordable. That’s the principle guiding my work in Albany. It’s also the standard I will uphold, demanding fairness for all utility customers and accountability from Liberty Water and other utilities as long as I’m your state senator.
Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick represents the 9th State Senate District.
