FRANKLIN
Dissatisfied with the actions Franklin’s City Council has taken thus far in regard to the high electric bills residents experienced this winter, Ward 6 resident Jerry McCreary has begun circulating a petition calling upon the city manager to immediately credit each Franklin Power and Light customer’s account with no less than 10 percent of the total electric charges listed on utility bills for power used between Dec. 1, 2017 and Feb. 28, 2018.

The petition reads, “To the Council of the City of Franklin, Virginia: The following terms are used in this petition: ‘city’ means the governing body of the City of Franklin, ‘citizens’ and ‘customers’ refers [to] the residence (sic) and businesses who are billed for electric power by the city. (1) Whereas the City of Franklin exists for the benefit of the Citizens, (2) Whereas the Citizens have incurred abnormally high electric charges due in part to the extreme cold weather in the months of December 2017 through February 2018, (3) Whereas the City increases the rate charged to the Customer in order to transfer monies to the General fund from Franklin Power and Light, (4) Whereas the City should not impose undue burden on the Citizens, the undersigned hereby petition to the Council to direct the city manager to immediately credit each Customer’s account no less than 10 percent the total electric charges listed on Utility bills for periods covering power used between Dec. 1, 2017 to Feb. 28, 2018. Further more, all late payment penalties, fees, and disconnect/reconnect charges incurred by Customers due to hardship endured in the billing periods referenced above shall be eliminated.”

McCreary intends to present the signed petition to the council members during citizens’ time at the council meeting scheduled for next Monday at 7 p.m.