Columbia’s mayor says her vote last week to approve an electric utility rate increase was a tough one.
Mayor Barbara Buffaloe tells 939 the Eagle that while Water and Light provided her with answers to her questions before Tuesday’s meeting, they didn’t have those answers when residents spoke from the podium and asked utility officials similar questions.
“And so a lot of those questions I had was in the hopes that staff could help explain to who I knew was in the audience (citizens speaking from the podium about the rate increase). Unfortunately, I think that by the time it came before council, they (Water and Light) were kind of like just ready to be done. And so they did not actually remember all the things that they had put together,” Buffaloe says.
Columbia residents packed the city council chambers during the meeting, to voice their opposition to a proposed electric utility rate increase. The testimony and council discussion lasted for about two-and-a-half hours.
Columbia Water and Light says the average Columbia customer will see a 6.9 percent increase in their monthly utility bill, starting sometime in July. Residents who spoke against the proposal worry about those on fixed incomes and seniors. Mayor Buffaloe says she had to consider a number of factors.
“Anytime you are voting to increase the cost of a family’s living right, it’s hard. I also had to take into consideration that we need a financially-stable and high-rated by debt, by our credit ratings, utility. And at the end of the day, that will help us save money in the long-term as well as have resilient and reliable electricity for our community”
Columbia’s city council voted 5-2 to approve the $8.3 million revenue increase, with Council members Andrea Waner and Roy Lovelady voting against it. Water and Light says the increase is necessary to address an increase in operation and maintenance expenses, to maintain cash reserve levels and to ensure adequate debt coverage for the Water and Electric fund.
