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Kingsport resident tells aldermen utility monopolies harm consumers, urges regional mayor coordination
Summary
Tim Sanders, a Kingsport resident and self‑described electrical professional, used his public comment slot to argue that utility monopolies such as AEP harm consumers and suggested mayors in East Tennessee coordinate to pursue legal change; he offered to serve as a citizens’ representative.
At the Dec. 2 Kingsport Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting, resident Tim Sanders used the public‑comment period to press the council on the broader issue of electric utility monopolies and to call for regional leadership on the matter.
“Monopolies are bad,” Sanders said during his five‑minute comment, describing his technical background (degrees in electrical engineering and chemistry) and saying his familiarity with utility systems informed his view. He argued that consumer harms stem from lack of competition in regulated utility markets and described antitrust and statutory changes as potential remedies.
Sanders urged a coordinated approach among local chief executives, saying, according to his remarks, that a “mayor’s conference” of cities across East Tennessee could create leverage to push for legal change that benefits all localities. He told the council he would be willing to serve as a citizen representative in such an effort.
Council took no formal action in response during the public‑comment period; the mayor closed public comment and the meeting moved on to scheduled business items.
The comment is a policy suggestion rather than a request for immediate city action; the transcript contains no staff presentation or council direction to pursue legal or regulatory steps on Sanders’s proposal.
