No rate increase in BPW budget
By LARRY HILLIARD Ledger Staff Writer larry@gaffneyledger.com

Unlike the price of gasoline, utility bills won't be going up this year.

Gaffney Board of Public Works General Manager Donnie Hardin will unveil a proposed budget at Sunday's long-range planning workshop that holds the line on rates and gives employees a little more in their paychecks.

Hardin said in the proposed budget the utility will absorb a 2.2 percent increase in wholesale electrical costs and focus on less-costly distribution maintenance rather than expensive plant upgrades.

"We'll be concentrating more this year on maintenance of our water and sewer lines, since most of our plant upgrades are complete," he said.

Hardin said he will leave it in the hands of the commissioners to determine employee pay raises. But employees can expect at least a cost-of-living pay hike, he said.

In 2007, commissioners approved for the first time in seven years a rate hike that included a flat $1 per month increase per utility service per month for residential customers and a straight 3 percent increase in sewer, electric and water rates for commercial and industrial customers.

The utility's new budget takes effect April 1.