The Lebanon City Council recently went on record saying it would not entertain an electric rate increase while electric reserve funds remained over 40 percent of the annual operating revenue.
City officials say the action is a reaction to past council efforts to improve the electrical system and control the amount of rate increases. An ordinance from 2015 said the council would consider a 1 percent rate increase each year.
City Administrator Mike Schumacher said it appeared that the Council at the time intended to keep the issue alive for future councils.
“My guess is that it was their intent to not let the conversation fall silent,” he said.
It required staff to come to council with the proposed rate increase and go over the books every two years.
For more on this story see Saturday's LCR.
