Issue with water Meters-make them affordable.

When you cut through all the issues on water meters what it really comes down to short term is cost.

What administration proposed was to put in 560 meters a year for the next five years at a cost of $280,000 per year. ($500 per meter)
How would that be paid for? the municipality would pay for the meters up front, and the resident would pay the municipality back over a year on their utility bills.
Not very complicated except $500 divided by 6 utility bills equals $83.33 per bill, that's a lot for somebody on a fixed income.
Here's a different solution, why not buy the meters with dollars in the reserve fund, allow the residents to pay for them over a five year period, two things happen then the resident only pays an additional $16.67 per utility bill much more affordable. Second the only thing the municipality loses is the interest they would be making on that money at today's rates they are lucky to be getting 1.5% which equates to $4200 a year.
I'm sure $4200 a year could be cut somewhere else in the budget to make up that lost revenue.