Citrus County commission to discuss FGUA purchase
County commission to discuss FGUA purchase
By Terry Witt
Citrus County Commission Chairwoman Vicki Phillips said she wants to talk with fellow board members on Tuesday about whether to purchase a controversial public utility.Phillips said she has lost trust in the Florida Governmental Utility Authority and believes the county should at least investigate purchasing FGUA, which she says has no accountability.
FGUA is the government entity that purchased 11 private utilities in Citrus County from Florida Water Services in December 2003.Since that time, FGUA has been criticized for providing poor customer service and proposing property assessments without first soliciting public comment. The latest criticism surrounds FGUA’s plan to hire the high bidder for an operations contract.
Phillips said she favors forming a professional team of non-staff members to evaluate whether the county can afford to purchase FGUA.“My goal on Tuesday is to put this out there for commissioners to discuss. I would like to assemble a group of experts to be able to come back to the board with numbers,” Phillips said.She said she realizes the financial issues could be complex. She said the board was told at the time FGUA bought the 11 utilities that the county could buy them back at the original purchase price whenever it was ready.
But she said it appears now that any improvements FGUA has made to the utilities it purchased, and any debt it has acquired, would have to be added to the county’s purchase price. She said she is growing weary of the changing numbers FGUA uses, calling it a “shell game.”
Commissioner Gary Bartell, like Phillips, said he wants to take a look at purchasing FGUA. However, he said he is not ready to commit to a purchase. He wants to be sure the purchase would not result in a rate increase for its Citrus County customers.
Bartell said he supported the original concept behind the creation of FGUA. He said the organization was to purchase private utilities and hold them like a warehouse until local governments could afford to buy them back. But he said he has been disappointed in the way FGUA operates.
He said the fact that FGUA tried to impose the property assessments without county approval was disappointing.“The performance FGUA has demonstrated this past year, I’m not impressed with at all,” he said.
By Terry Witt
Citrus County Commission Chairwoman Vicki Phillips said she wants to talk with fellow board members on Tuesday about whether to purchase a controversial public utility.Phillips said she has lost trust in the Florida Governmental Utility Authority and believes the county should at least investigate purchasing FGUA, which she says has no accountability.
FGUA is the government entity that purchased 11 private utilities in Citrus County from Florida Water Services in December 2003.Since that time, FGUA has been criticized for providing poor customer service and proposing property assessments without first soliciting public comment. The latest criticism surrounds FGUA’s plan to hire the high bidder for an operations contract.
Phillips said she favors forming a professional team of non-staff members to evaluate whether the county can afford to purchase FGUA.“My goal on Tuesday is to put this out there for commissioners to discuss. I would like to assemble a group of experts to be able to come back to the board with numbers,” Phillips said.She said she realizes the financial issues could be complex. She said the board was told at the time FGUA bought the 11 utilities that the county could buy them back at the original purchase price whenever it was ready.
But she said it appears now that any improvements FGUA has made to the utilities it purchased, and any debt it has acquired, would have to be added to the county’s purchase price. She said she is growing weary of the changing numbers FGUA uses, calling it a “shell game.”
Commissioner Gary Bartell, like Phillips, said he wants to take a look at purchasing FGUA. However, he said he is not ready to commit to a purchase. He wants to be sure the purchase would not result in a rate increase for its Citrus County customers.
Bartell said he supported the original concept behind the creation of FGUA. He said the organization was to purchase private utilities and hold them like a warehouse until local governments could afford to buy them back. But he said he has been disappointed in the way FGUA operates.
He said the fact that FGUA tried to impose the property assessments without county approval was disappointing.“The performance FGUA has demonstrated this past year, I’m not impressed with at all,” he said.
posted by Editor Facts & Myths @ 12:26 PM
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