If you are a registered Norman voter, you can vote on an increase in water and sanitation rates today.

Norman is an ever-expanding city, and water and sanitation are continuing concerns for city leaders. Most pressing is our city’s need to find additional clean water sources to keep up with Norman’s population growth.

Everyone is strapped for cash right now, especially students. And the last thing on our minds is a letter we received at our apartments asking us to vote on water and sanitation rate increases.

We encourage you to get out and vote yes on these propositions.

Let us explain.

The rate increases are spread out over three years. According to a City of Norman letter mailed to residents, your monthly sanitation bill will increase $1 – from $14.50 a month to $15.50 a month – during the 2011 fiscal year. The monthly rate will continue to increase $1 every year until the 2013 fiscal year.

For a person who uses 7,000 gallons of water a month - the average for Norman residents - the monthly water bill will increase $2.25 during the 2011 fiscal year, and then $1.05 each year until 2013.

We know you have tuition to pay, bills to pay, and things to buy, but we think you can do it. Consider the 2011 fiscal year, which begins October 1. If Norman voters decide to increase water and sanitation rates, you will be charged an extra $3.25 per month. The key is to find ways to cut this amount out of what you already spend.

If you’re like us, you probably drink quite a bit of Starbucks, no matter how expensive it is. If you go once a week and order a delicious $3.95 grande white chocolate mocha, that’s about $16 a month spent on Starbucks coffee. Cut out just one of those drinks, and you save yourself 70 cents - and 470 calories.

For students, this could be a good lesson in prioritizing money.

We know there are many in this city who may not be able to afford the rate increases, even if they only amount to an extra $4 or $5 dollars a month. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 6 percent of Norman’s labor force was unemployed in May. That’s more than 14,000 people in a city of about 240,000.

However, the city has a program for low-income residents who may not be able to afford the rate increases. Anyone who qualifies will pay only 75 percent of the normal rate.

Norman hasn’t increased the rates for six years and these propositions must be passed to ensure we have clean water and frequent trash pickup.