Bowie citizens are exercising their first amendment rights before Tuesday night’s city council meeting.

A group of concerned citizens, who are also Bowie business owners, recently created their own unofficial poll asking residents who come into their business, if they approve the councils decision to increase water and sewage rates.

Tami Buckmaster, a CPA in town, got the idea to poll after she and close friends grew tired of the already high rates and are now being asked to pay more.

“It’s always been an issue and always something that I’ve been concerned about,” Buckmaster said. “It was probably a few weeks ago towards the end of tax season–for me–is when we finally said that this rate increase is where we draw the line.”

City councilors will have their first of two readings to adopt the higher rates.

For water, Bowie residents pay a base rate of $19.30 right now to break even the city is proposing to raise that base by about 10-percent to $21.31. For sewer, the city wants to raise its base rate by around 35-percent to $20 even.

Buckmaster will present the group’s poll responses to the council tomorrow night.

If you live in bowie and you want to take part in the polling you have until noon time Tuesday. You can poll at Tami Buckmaster’s office, The Rack and Shear Madness.