Elizabeth City is calculating the effects of Profit from adding a premium to city utilities.  In there study only $15-17 dollars would be saved on average if they did away with the profit motive.

Elizabeth City is like all the other 31 towns and cities that buys electricity from ElectriCities.  They sell it at a small profit to make ends meet.  That money (profit) is then filtered back into the general fund to help pay for needed (on not needed if you ask some people) services.

So, if you’d only save$15-20, then where is all the extra money going.  Well, not in somebody’s pocket.  Yes, I must confess that in the beginning I, too, thought that these towns were making way too much money and cooking the books to show it differently.  It’s used to pay off the 2.5 billion dollar debt.  Literally, hundreds of thousands of dollars every year from each town is spent just to service the debt and other bonds sold by ElectriCities. 

That is why it is so import to attend at least one or two NCEMPA meeting when you can.  If you can’t at least call your local commissioner who sits on the board for you.  That commissioner should be able to tell you exactly what goes on at a particular meeting and what benefit you will receive from their meeting. 

But, alas, not all commissioners are created equal.  Some are just figureheads who have no idea what the ElectriCities guys are talking about.  They, hmm-maybe most of the Board, just rubber stamp whatever ElectriCities wants without ever combing through the paperwork or doing homework to find out if what they are being told is really the truth.

Stay in touch folks. If you don’t make a noise, they (meaning your government, will walk right over you.  Stay focused and stay in touch.  Your light bill depends on it.