During public comment at the St. Francois County Commission meeting an attendee alerted residents to a proposed Ameren rate increase and urged public participation in the regulatory process.

Unidentified Speaker 7 told the commission that Ameren filed a request with the Missouri Public Service Commission that the speaker characterized as a roughly 16% increase, which the speaker said would add about $17.50 per month to a typical customer's bill (about $210 per year). The speaker estimated 1,200,000 Ameren customers in Missouri and used that figure to illustrate potential aggregate impacts, urging residents — particularly those on fixed incomes — to submit written comments to the Public Service Commission or attend hearings in St. Louis or Cape Girardeau.

"Ameren has filed a rate increase request with the Public Service Commission that would increase...about 16% per month," the speaker said. "That would equate to $17.50 additional per month for each customer...that's $210 more a year." The speaker asked that the remarks be included in the meeting record and minutes.

The meeting record does not show a formal county response from the commission; commissioners and staff encouraged public awareness and noted how residents can file comments with the PSC. The comments and figures were presented verbally at the meeting and should be verified against the formal PSC filing and Ameren's public documents for exact amounts and terms.