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Residents voice concerns over utility bills

BY ADAM TESTA, THE SOUTHERN

Monday, January 14, 2008 11:51 PM CST

PINCKNEYVILLE - Citizens let their voices be heard about utility rate increases they believe came "too fast, too hard" at Monday's city council meeting.

The council voted late last year to increase natural gas and water rates by 25 percent in order to bring the cost-profit balance to a break-even point.

The increased rates came at a time when cold weather and a December snowstorm also struck the city. Residents at Monday's meeting complained their utility bills skyrocketed, doubling in some cases, and they wanted to know what the city planned to do about the problem.

"Do you know how many people you're going to run out of here?" asked resident Cathy Foutch, who said she experienced a tripled bill on an uninhabited property she maintains for her sister.

Mayor Joseph Holder explained to residents that the city only passes along the costs associated with purchasing natural gas and does not make a profit off the utility sale. Natural gas prices usually follow trends with oil, which reached more than $100 per barrel earlier this month, he said.

"It all hit at once," said Commissioner David Stone. "Bills going from 50 to 150 isn't all our increase."

Stone and other commissioners told the concerned residents they too are faced with the same rate hikes as the public, with Commissioner Ruben Davis noting an increase in his bill from $88 to $202. Many of the residents, including Foutch, said the problem doesn't lie with those who have jobs but those on limited and fixed incomes.

Perry County has one of the highest unemployment rates in the state, which residents said leaves many Pinckneyville citizens unable to handle the utility increases. The council told the crowd they are doing everything possible to attract more business to the city.

"We're grasping at every straw that comes our way," Davis said.

When residents asked if a more gradual rate increase implementation process could have been used, Holder said gas rates had not been increased for 10 years and water for seven. Gradual implementations should have begun during this time frame, he said.

Commissioner August Kellerman told the public that with Pinckneyville's financial situation at the end of 2007, the increases were an imminent measure to reduce the city's expenses.

"The state would have been running this city (if nothing were done)," he said. "That's how close it was."

adam.testa@thesouthern.com / 351-5031