Lake Worth Beach Utility Customers Pay More as City Splurges on Aesthetics
In the past four months, Lake Worth Beach residents have seen their electric bills climb not once, but twice. The first hike came in October, with a sharp 8% increase to the base rate, adding an extra $6.69 to monthly bills. The financial pinch continued into the new year at the city's electric utility meeting on January 28th. The meeting ended with a 3-1 vote (Mayor absent, McVoy dissenting) to implement another rate increase, this time for $7.41.
While the need to adjust rates to balance energy costs and operational expenses might be justified, the electric utility spending up to $650,000 on a developer’s pet project is harder to swallow. This Tuesday, the city commission is set to approve a $1 million maintenance agreement with the WMODA museum and apartment complex to beautify and maintain a three-block downtown alleyway. More than half of that funding—$650,000—will come directly from the electric utility.
The timing raises the question: is the electric utility increasing rates to cover operational expenses or to subsidize development? This is even more concerning given that the electric utility also serves areas outside of Lake Worth Beach.
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