Westminster power rate to rise in June

Westminster’s electric power customers will see a 7.6% increase on their June bills. The increase from the city’s wholesale supplier will show up in May, but will reflect on retail customers’ bills in June. Picking up on their discussion a month ago, the Westminster mayor and most of the city council said they could see nowhere in the city’s budget to absorb the new charge from the city’s supplier, Piedmont Municipal Power Authority, without making drastic cuts. Councilman Youself Mefleh once again opposed the increase and cast the only dissenting vote. As the owner of city restaurant, Mefleh said he’s in touch daily with city residents—many of whom are on fixed income and can’t afford to pay more. The city council last night again took up the idea of reducing the city’s 10% late charge to re-connect utility customers who fail to pay their bills, but deferred a vote until it takes up a new city budget later this spring. Councilman Bill Brockington said he agrees with Mefleh’s position that 10% is too high. Without it, however, Brockington said, there’ll be a “$30 thousand dollar hit to the budget.”