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Residents and advocates press Board of Water & Light oversight as rate increases loom
Summary
Public commenters urged greater transparency and oversight of the municipal utility BWL, warning that proposed and recent rate changes have produced significant cumulative increases; the council heard calls to align BWL reporting with standards used for investor‑owned utilities.
Several residents used public comment at the July 27 meeting to urge increased scrutiny of the Board of Water & Light (BWL) and to question recent and proposed rate changes.
Mike Smalligan told the council the BWL lacks committees on environmental affairs or corporate social responsibility and criticized rate disparities across customer classes. "A 2% increase in my power bill is another dollar a month," Smalligan said, and he pointed to a table in his handout that showed much higher per‑kilowatt‑hour charges for smaller residential users compared with large commercial customers. Elaine Fishoff, who identified herself as a BWL customer, said BWL's recommended rate changes from Oct. 2022 through Sept. 30, 2025 accumulated to about 16% and that the utility’s current proposal would add another 2.1%, bringing the five‑year cumulative increase to roughly 20%.
Fishoff contrasted the BWL process with regulatory proceedings for investor‑owned utilities under the Michigan Public Service Commission, noting that investor‑owned utilities submit extensive public filings while BWL does not make equivalent documentation publicly available. She asked whether the council would require greater public disclosure before the council considers approval of a recommended rate change at a future meeting.
