To the Editor:

I agree with Jody Sykes’ recent comments (“He’s appalled by city utility bills,” Wednesday, March 10) on the City of Franklin’s electric department. I also support his efforts to bring reform to that operation.

I ask all like-minded voters to do what they can to help Mr. Sykes help us improve our community. Our only concern should be what we can do as a united community to reform our electric policies and operation.

The city’s electric department is self-regulatory. It is a monopoly. We can ask the state of Virginia to allow us to have the choice of being Dominion Power customers, freeing us from the city’s monopoly, and we also can ask the state to allow the State Corporation Commission to regulate the electric department.

We can also solve our electric department’s problems through local political action. We can ask our current council members to reform their electric policies, or we can support the candidates running against them for the City Council who are willing to reduce our electric bills.

We should encourage the voters in Ward 5 to find a write-in candidate willing to run against Mary Hilliard and willing to reduce our electric rates. Let them know that this is a practical and effective way to keep the council honest and send a strong message to Vice Mayor Raystine Johnson.

We need to let them know that we are willing to hold them accountable for their votes to raise our rates at a time when people are losing jobs and food and gasoline prices are rising faster than our paychecks. We need to let them know we are willing to hold them accountable for not speaking up for us when we need them to fight for us the most.

I have submitted a request to the Planning Commission of the City of Franklin asking it to amend the city’s Comprehensive Plan to authorize a formal complaint process that covers the policies and operation of the City electric department. I also requested that the Planning Commission amend the Comprehensive Plan to authorize the establishment of a City of Franklin Electric Department Commission with the following duties:

■ Serve as the city’s electric department ombudsman.

■ Sort out disagreements between the electric department and its customers.

■ Audit the operation of the electric department.

■ Make recommendations on rate increases.

■ Take citizen and customer complaints and investigate, review and make judgments on those complaints.

■ Make recommendations to the Franklin City Council on the operation of the electric department.

■ Make recommendations to the Franklin City Council on the budget of the electric department.

■ Make recommendations to the Franklin City Council on capital improvements of the electric department.

■ I ask all like-minded voters to contact their commissioner on the Planning Commission and ask them to take action on reforming our electric department operation and policies.

Thomas H. Councill Jr.

Franklin