By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

                Williston electric and gas customers could be looking at rate adjustments in the near future, but exactly what that might mean isn’t clear at this point.

            City council members Tuesday agreed to host a public workshop at City Hall at 6 p.m. on March 10 to hear a rate presentation from city utility officials regarding the gas and electric departments.

            Williston operates city-owned gas and electric utilities as well as city water and sewer facilities.

            Williston Public Works Director Jonathen Bishop said the city is operating with one of the lowest electric rates in Florida and is using an outdated gas utility ordinance that hasn’t been changed in years.

            He said it can’t be business as usual with the electric utility. After 2026, he said the city won’t be able to operate the electric utility without losing money if the current rates remain in place.

            “The electric utility rates are one of the lowest in the state and will cease to be a long-term solution for the general fund of the city of Williston without an immediate adjustment,” he said.

            City council members have often dipped into the city’s utility revenues to transfer up to $600,000 to the general operating budget for funding the police and fire departments.

            Bishop didn’t say exactly what he meant when he indicated current electric rates can no longer be used to bolster the general city budget without an adjustment, but City Council President Debra Jones didn’t think he was talking about the annual transfers of revenue out of the utility fund.

            “What Jonathen was talking about is the rate study he is going to present at the upcoming workshop. We know realistically we have to transfer from the utility fund to fund the police and fire departments,” she said Wednesday.

            At Tuesday’s council meeting, Jones said she was surprised to find out the electricity rates were one of the lowest in the state. She asked Bishop to provide a comparison of rates with other utilities outside Williston. Bishop said a comparison would be part of the rate presentation.

            “If you can get us some comparisons – you say we’re the lowest in the state. We used to be the highest,” Jones said.

            The Florida Municipal Power Agency, which serves as the wholesale supplier of electricity to Williston’s city-owned electric utility, will be present for the workshop along with Florida Gas Utility, which provides natural gas to the city’s gas utility.

            Bishop said changes need to be made to the gas utility ordinance.

            “With so much construction and development current and forecasted, the City of Williston needs to protect its assets including its investment in the Gas Utility,” he said.

            He said FMPA, the city’s electric supplier, has good “models” it can present to the city council indicating what must be done to help the utility.

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City of Williston Regular Meeting February 8, 2022; Posted February 9, 2022