Writer Fears BVU Change Is Selling Out

Why create a sovereign Bristol Virginia Utilities Authority for the few vested interests with total autonomy, that they can quickly reshape once chartered, which will effectively be unaccountable to the taxpayers/citizens/consumers of the services who created, paid for, own, and sustain the present BVU asset and currently control it? Indeed, the audacious proposal will even grant “sovereign immunity” from legal accountability or recourse!
It represents a brazen effort to disenfranchise we the people from our very valuable asset that the charter advocates are quick to admit is extremely valuable with great future prospects for growth, profits, etc. and with a current net $84 million value far in excess of its $49 million debt, and yet they argue that we would be best served to transfer that asset to their proposed Authority in a quid pro quo arrangement where we the people will be ripped off. If we are intent upon selling off this asset let’s at least get its fair market value.
This issue too greatly impacts upon our major asset, our current and future consumer costs we will have to bear, and the future generations of Bristolians, for us to sit idly by without a full hearing and opportunity to be heard beyond the planned fiasco – the ridiculously inadequate “two readings” by the city council and sham “three minute comments” afforded we the people.
We must join together to have our own meeting(s) to fully learn, discuss and evaluate the details and ramifications of this proposed Authority and its full impact upon us. Then we must have the opportunity to directly decide the matter, democratically, with a referendum vote – rather than allowing the three Rector-controlled council votes to prevail and sell us out.

Paull Anderson
Bristol, Va.