By Glynis Crawford Smith
The Highlander
The Marble Falls City Council took a stand of sorts against rising natural gas prices for some 1,325 citizens who are customers of ATMOS.
The city is a member of the ATMOS Texas Municipalities (ATM), a group of municipalities served by the ATMOS Energy Corporation, Mid-Tex Division. The ATM had retained legal counsel and consultants to review the latest proposed rate increases by the natural gas service company.
ATMOS was seeking a $57.4 million increase that equated to a base-rate increase of about 8.35 percent. The company settled for a $48 million hike, or a base-rate increase of about seven percent.
“Most of the cities involved have approved the increase,” said City Manager Mike Hodge. “It went into effect June 1.”
So far, however, the Marble Falls council declines approval, if only to make a point.
