Posted: | May 21, 2021 03:02 PM |
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From: | Representative Jim Cox |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Public Meetings Prior to the Sale or Lease of a Municipal Asset |
. In recent years, we have seen private companies take over municipally owned water and sewer systems. Often this is the right decision for the municipality and its residents. Sometimes the sale results in needed capital for the local government or selling an asset that has turned into a liability. On the other hand, sometimes the sale results in much higher prices for the customers of the utility. I think the citizens of the locality should be able to ask questions and present their concerns BEFORE the sale is final. Therefore, I plan to re-introduce prior House Bill 406 which would require a municipality to have at least one publicly advertised meeting prior to finalizing an agreement to sell or lease a sewer or water system owned or operated by the municipality. This legislation passed the House unanimously TWICE in the last TWO sessions but has yet to be considered by the Senate. The legislation will ensure that the residents of the municipality are well informed of any sale or lease that may impact the services that they are provided. Therefore, I hope you join me in co-sponsoring this important piece of legislation. Prior co-sponsors include: Ciresi, DeLuca, Freeman, Gillen, Hill-Evans, James, Jozwiak, Maloney, Millard, B.Miller, Owlett, Samuelson, Staats, Webster, and Zimmerman . |
Introduced as HB527