The Jackson City Council voted unanimously to raise electric rates at its Tuesday, November 17 meeting.
The city absorbed a $252,000 wholesale cost increase from its supplier, MEAG, last year and faces a $100,000 increase this year.
“We can’t absorb that increase,” said Mayor Charlie Brown. “We’re going to try to make it up with the electric rate increase.”
Mayor Brown said the city’s department heads slashed their budgets in an attempt to ward off the increase.
“They’ve slashed everything they can and I’ve slashed more,” said Mayor Brown. “But we’re going to have to increase electric rates.”
Mayor Brown said the increase would not affect households using 250 kilowatts (KW) per month.
Households using over 500 KW will have a $0.16 increase per month; 750 KW, $0.55 per month; 1,000 KW, $0.94 per month; 1,250 KW, $4.01 per month; 1,500 KW, $7.09 per month, and 2,000 KW, $13.04 per month.
Mayor Brown said 90 percent of Jackson’s citizens use less than 1,000 KW per month.
There are 1,625 meters in the city.
Council Member Harold “Doc” McMIchael asked if the city’s rates were still low in comparison with other providers.
“Yes,” said Mayor Brown. “We’re still lower than many providers and we’re substantially lower than [Central Georgia EMC].”
Mayor Brown said there were roughly four commercial customers that could be affected by an electric rate increase.