Ground Zero: Heartlanders need help to understand where Town Council fee increases go to

The news broke late last month about a hike in service and conservancy charges. Yet, people were talking about it when this correspondent walked the ground a few days ago.

For the first time since 2004, seven town councils will increase fees between $1 and $12 per month, starting next month.

Any fee increase is bound to create chatter. But the heartlanders are saying something more: Sometimes, it really is not the hike in prices that makes people unhappy, but how it is handled.

Although there are annual reports, many say they cannot make head or tail of them. They want a simpler explanation of where the fees will go to, and many say they would be happy, if they knew the fees went directly to helping the cleaners or administrative staff at the councils get a pay raise.