Last week’s letter from former Water, Gas and Sewer Board Chairman Gerald Whitton would be hilarious if it weren’t such a serious subject for the many suffering from high utility rates.

Mr. Whitton fails to state that prior to 2003 while he was Chairman of the Board gas rates in Piedmont were extremely high to the point that many commercial and residential customers were changing over to complete electric. Local builders were refused access to utilities and sewer expansions were completely out of the question.

The Board was more than happy to participate in the city’s employee health care benefit plan, saving them thousands of dollars a year and eagerly participated in the city’s vehicle fuel purchase program getting the municipal cost for fuel and saving them thousands again in gas taxes. All the while not providing one red cent to the city or its citizens except for the utility tax required by law.

The City Council was receiving constant complaints about the Board’s refusal to even hear complaints from customers and the Board consistently rejected requests from the city to participate in economic/industrial development projects that would have provided jobs for many citizens.

While Mr. Whitton blames the City Council for current rates the fact is that the Utility Manager (who was appointed by Mr. Whitton’s board) is the one with the purchasing and rate setting authority for the utilities not the City Council. Since the current residential gas rates in Piedmont are nearly double what others are in the area it seems likely that either the manager is not purchasing natural gas at a competitive rate or he is simply inflating the local rates for some unknown reason, or maybe both. In either case some research by the Mayor and City Council should resolve the problem.

It is a fact that the outrageous fuel adjustments on electricity that occurred during the droughts have been reduced by increased hydropower so those reductions should have been passed on to the electrical customers by the manager as well. Could it be that his lack of any experience in electrical utilities has anything to do with it? Should the Mayor and City Council take a stronger role in these responsibilities? Absolutely, but the fact is it is not a matter of whether the City Council or a Board has regulatory authority it is a matter of whether they take that responsibility seriously enough to get involved in the decision making process.

Finally, at least the Mayor and City Council have to answer to the voters of the City. A separately incorporated Board doesn’t have to answer to anyone, which was the problem to begin with. I don’t have a dog in this hunt and I have desperately desired to stay out of this mess but I cannot abide total misrepresentation of the truth by those with personal agendas. Please folks, don’t blame the office and service employees, they don’t have any more say in this than you do.

Bill Fann

Piedmont