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Escambia Cuts Plan For Utility Bill Increase
September 18, 2012
The Escambia County Commission has backed away from a proposal that would have meant an increase in electric and natural gas bills for residents of the unincorporated areas of the county.
The hikes failed on a 3-2 Monday, even after Commissioner Grover Robinson amended the proposal to only raise franchise fees by half the amount previously proposed. Robinson and Commissioner Gene Valentino were in favor of the bill increases, while Commissioners Kevin White, Wilson Robertson and Marie Young were against.
The original plan would have added extra $2.5 million to $3 million per year to the county’s budget that would be used for economic development efforts.
In the 1990’s, Escambia County granted power franchises to Gulf Power and Escambia River Electric Cooperative, and a natural gas franchise to the City of Pensacola. As part of the franchise agreements, the companies are required to collect and pay the county five percent of gross revenue collected on the sale of electricity and natural gas up to a maximum amount for each category. The county’s first proposal would have increase those caps by 50 percent, while a plan presented Monday by Robinson would have cut that increase to 25 percent.
An increase under the original proposal would have meant a maximum franchise fee hike from $10 to $15 per month for residential customers and small office and up $1,500 each for power and gas for large industrial users.
Comments
10 Responses to “Escambia Cuts Plan For Utility Bill Increase”
Don’t forget Valentino or Robinson. They are the big spenders and want the unincorporated areas to pay for it. Valentino is for the rich and Robinson was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Neither one of them should be a county commissioner.
i hope they get that nucular plant up and going in mcdavid as soon as possible.
Mr Valentino seems to believe increasing the cost of doing business in Escambia County will increase the new businesses here. Will someone please explain to him that the other counties/states that have new businesses have them because they DECREASED the cost of doing business there? Second, this would have hurt people on fixed incomes. It doesn’t take an economic degree to figure this out!
The people of Escambia county might have supported the increase if they knew that it would actually be used for economic development.
Hint to our elected leaders: Economic Development DOES NOT mean more minimum wage jobs. The lousy pay for most jobs in this county is the reason that we can’t afford an increase in the franchise fee. Such simple reasoning seems to be beyond the abilities of our entrenched special interests and our elected officials who represent those interests instead of the interests of the people.
Of course, an outside company that paid well would work to sweep aside the good old boys the first time that the special interests tried to shake down the outside company, and we can’t have that, so we can count on NO true economic development. Thus, the increased franchise fee would have been a waste as far as true economic development is concerned.
Our county commissioners need to look for ways to save money by cutting costs instead of looking to increase revenue on the backs of hard working families. When families have a certain amount of money to make ends meet, they continually look for ways to stretch those funds.
Had this proposal passed, it would only have affected the unincorporated areas of the county. Robinson and Valentino do not represent unincorporated districts. So it’s really no surprise that they voted for it. At least the commissioners that do represent unincorporated areas voted it down with a little help from a 3rd. I’m actually shocked this failed to be honest. Glad, but still shocked.
We have been paying this franchise fee on our electric bill for many years now. Does anyone know what it’s actually used for and if it is legal? I mean my residence is not a franchise.
Mr White you surprise me, since you voted to bring it up. Like i.m. broke said remember the others come election day and watch what some will try to do over the next few years to feed their agenda.
While we did manage to dodge THIS bullet, don’t think they won’t try to fund this “Economic Development” slush fund some other way.
We need to remember Robinson and Valentino when we vote.
Dodged a bullet on this one! Thanks to the ones who voted against this!!