William Sprouse went shopping for a bucket of white paint.
He used it to freshen up the lettering on the sign he made two years ago—the last time Aqua Virginia applied to the State Corporation Commission for a rate increase.
Sprouse’s sign, which he posted on U.S. 1 near his home in Campbell Creek Village, reads “Can’t afford the [expletive] in Caroline.”
“You can’t afford to live in Caroline anymore because of the taxes on the water and sewage,” said Sprouse, who has lived in his house for 40 years. “People are paying anything from $150 to $300 a month for a family of four or five, which is ridiculous. When we first moved here, the water bill was $24 a month. You expect some increase, but this is getting out of control. People can’t afford it.”
