URGENT MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT DOLORES CURRY, BELMONT-DEVILLIERS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
If you read the paper this morning, you know that the City Council voted 5-4 to support the 10% rate increase in ESP gas rates proposed by Mayor Ashton Hayward. The deciding swing vote came from Councilman Ronald Townsend, who has been against this rate increase until now. Mr. Townsend said he changed his vote in part because no one was at the meeting to voice their objections. That is why I am urging you to call him RIGHT NOW to let him know that he should VOTE AGAINST THIS PROPOSED RATE INCREASE at the next hearing on Sept. 28. Councilman Townsend's home phone is 850-433-0174 and his cell phone is 850-450-3257. If he doesn't answer, please leave a message with your name and phone number. The other councilmen who voted in favor of this rate increase are: Councilmen Brian Spencer, John Jerralds, Sam Hall and Larry Johnson. Voting against the rate hike were: Council members Megan Pratt, Maren DeWeese, Sherri Myers and P.C. Wu. Please forward this email to your neighbors! Dee CurryPresidentBelmont-DeVilliers Neighborhood Association PS The article is at http://www.pnj.com/article/20110917/NEWS01/109170325/Pensacola-City-Council-favors-10-rate-hike-natural-gas You can also post your comments there.
Proposal could cost ESP residential customers an extra 10 percent
Written by Thyrie Bland for Pensacola News Journal
The Pensacola City Council voted 5-4 on Friday in favor of a proposal to increase gas rates an average of 10 percent for residential customers.The measure also will increase the rate 6.9 percent for commercial businesses.
The hearing at Pensacola City Hall was the first of two needed before the proposal can go into effect.
The council will vote on it again Sept. 28.
Mayor Ashton Hayward included the rate hike in his proposed 2011-12 budget. It has been a point of contention for some council members.
Council members John Jerralds, Sam Hall, Larry Johnson, Brian Spencer and Ronald Towsend voted in favor of the proposal. Council members Megan Pratt, Maren DeWeese, Sherri Myers and P.C. Wu voted against it.
Don Suarez, director of Energy Services of Pensacola, said the rate hike is needed for operating costs and improvements to ESP's infrastructure. ESP is a city-owned utility company.
"I would like to tell you there is some room for negotiation with the rate, but there isn't," Suarez told the council.
Hall said he voted for the increase because the council has punted on needed upgrades to ESP's system for the last four years.
"It's the reason that such a big increase is needed this year," he said.
Hall said he hopes the public will understand the council's decision and support it.
"Regardless of what the public opinion is, I feel like it's my fiduciary responsibility to keep the economic health of Pensacola intact," Hall said.
Myers said she could not vote in favor of the increase because of the bad economy.
She said she attended Thursday's meeting about Gulf Power's $93.5 million rate increase and heard many people talk about the tough times they are facing financially.
"I cannot in good conscience vote for this," Myers said.
Dick Barker, the city's finance director, urged the council to approve the increase.
"ESP is the biggest contributor to the city's general fund," he said. "Just be careful you don't kill it."
http://www.pnj.com/article/20110917/NEWS01/109170325/Pensacola-City-Council-favors-10-rate-hike-natural-gas-?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE
