Councilors discussed a recent veto by the governor of House Bill 11 and said the town will send a letter to the governor and legislative leaders urging a broader, statewide solution to rate-setting for customers served by municipal utilities but who live outside municipal boundaries.

"The governor in the memorandum vetoing the bill noted that the way it was crafted, it essentially covered only 1 municipality," the mayor said, adding the town plans to circulate a tightened draft letter through counsel and staff before sending it to the governor and legislative leadership. The letter will emphasize the town's concern about discrimination in rates charged to customers who do not have representation in the utility-owning municipality.

Councilors said the issue arose also from a meeting attended with the clerk and another staff member, and noted broader concerns that reductions in ad valorem revenues — through potential tax reforms or increased homestead exemptions — could shift revenue burdens to enterprise funds such as municipal utilities. "We are going to ask the Governor and the Legislature ... and also volunteer our experience in terms of crafting legislation that provides some resolution statewide for this problem," the mayor said.

Vice Mayor Atwater said the matter is "completely intolerable" in principle, offering a hypothetical about neighboring houses split by a municipal boundary paying different rates. Councilors signaled willingness to draft proposed legislation and, if necessary, travel to Tallahassee to advocate for a statewide fix. The town attorney will circulate the draft letter for council comment under the Sunshine Law before transmission.

House Bill 11 was referenced in the meeting as the vetoed bill; councilors did not adopt a formal resolution but directed staff to circulate and finalize the letter for signature and transmittal.