Mayor blasts potential water rate increase
Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly speaking at a public hearing on a potential water rate increase from Tennessee-American Water Company.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly had some strong words for the Tennessee-American Water Company during a public hearing Monday.
The public hearing concerned a proposed rate increase for Chattanooga residents in their Tenn-Am water bills.
The petition for this increase was filed back in May, as the water company said it needed to raise rates to cover improvements to their infrastructure, and said it would only raise rates on average by four dollars a month.
However, Mayor Kelly argues the rate increase would be much more drastic, and an unfair expense for Chattanoogans in order to lower rates for adjacent rural customers.
“Now, Tennessee-American wants to reward Chattanoogan residential customers who have paid for generations of infrastructure investment by raising their rates by 25 percent in order to offer lower rates to Tennessee-American’s newest customers, and that ain’t right,” said the mayor.
The Tennessee Public Utility Commission will be holding their primary hearing on the matter next Month on November 18 at 10 a.m. Central time in Nashville before deciding whether or not to approve the increase.
More information on the increase can be found here.
