Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Comptroller official urges Crossville to pursue regional water authority; council reviews West Cumberland proposal
Summary
Ross Quantico of the Tennessee Comptroller's office told the Crossville City Council that joining the Cumberland Plateau Water Authority would deliver economies of scale and rate equity; council staff later presented six‑month preliminary numbers on a possible proposal to bring West Cumberland Utility District into city service, including a ~$500,000 pump connection estimate and roughly $2.7 million in audited debt for West Cumberland.
Ross Quantico, introduced by the council as a representative of the Tennessee Comptroller’s office, told the Crossville City Council that a regional water authority could deliver long‑term benefits for customers and utilities on the Cumberland Plateau.
“Economies of scale are great,” Quantico said, calling the Cumberland Plateau Water Authority a “no‑brainer” for the region’s utilities. He said the comptroller’s office oversees roughly 450 Tennessee utilities and recommended third‑party cost‑of‑service studies every few years to ensure rates are “reasonable and just.” Quantico also criticized the common practice of charging outside‑city customers substantially higher rates, saying councils need a study to justify any surcharge.
The comptroller’s presentation focused on two points: that regionalization can lower fixed costs and improve managerial capacity even if a new water supply is not immediately…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
