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Commissioners weigh county takeover of water services and proposed AMI repair fee
Summary
Board members asked about contracting water services to the county and heard that Erwin residents gave positive feedback after a sale; Commissioner Jerry Beasley proposed a $1.00–$1.50 monthly AMI repair fee on water bills to cover equipment repairs.
Commissioner Marc Powell raised the possibility of contracting out water services to the county during the March 20 budget work session. Commissioner Shirley Allen said she had received favorable feedback from residents of Erwin after that town sold its water services to the county, and Commissioner Jerry Beasley said a sale could be worthwhile for the right price.
Separately, Commissioner Jerry Beasley proposed a monthly surcharge of $1.00 to $1.50 on each customer's water bill to create a reserve for AMI (advanced metering infrastructure) equipment repairs rather than billing customers for repairs individually. The board discussed the idea but did not adopt a fee during the session; staff were asked to consider the budget implications and timing of any contract renewals with Carolina Trash.
