City Of Galt Seeks OK To Sell Electric Distribution System

Voters within the city limits of Galt will be asked to decide if the city should sell its electric distribution system.
City Clerk Ashley Bonnett said currently the city owns the entire system – all the lines, the hookups, the meters, etc., and gets its electricity from Evergy. The city receives one bill for everyone and then bills it out at the city’s rate. Customers pay the city and the city pays Evergy.
The problem arises when there is an issue with any part of the system.
“Every time Evergy or any other contractor comes into town, we have to pay them,” Mrs. Bonnett said. “So, that means if there are tree branches in a line, a pole needs replaced, the power goes out at night, a transformer blows…anything that happens, we are paying someone to take care of it. If you look at Grundy Electric, when they get called out to one of their places in the county, well, they already own it.” 
Mrs. Bonnett said the city does not have anyone certified to operate an electric system and does not have a bucket truck to take care of problems, so the city can only do a minimal amount of what needs to be done to operate the system.
“All we do is install meters, change out meters and read meters. Everything else is a service call,” she explained.
Mrs. Bonnett said the council was unanimous in its decision to put the issue on the ballot, with the timing perfect since the city’s five-year contract with Evergy expires July 31.
One of the advantages to selling the system is that whoever buys it would probably do an upgrade.
“Our system is very dated, we’re all aware of that. We would even call it delapidated,” she said. “It works, it’s running, it’s safe, but that’s about all you can say.”
The city would save some money because they won’t be operating the system, but would also have to start paying for the electricity used in its building, the street lights, etc. Mrs. Bonnett said she does not expect a lot of payroll fluctuation if the issue passes, but there may be some. She said her hours might be decreased somewhat if the system is sold since she wouldn’t be billing for electricity, however she would still have to prepare bills for water, sewer and trash. The maintenance position might also see a decrease in hours worked since he serves as the meter reader, checks for limbs, does debris removal, etc. for the electric system. He would still have many other duties involving the water system, sewer system, streets and other maintenance areas.
Depending who buys the system, rates may increase, but a lot of that would depend on individual usage. Mrs. Bonnett said Grundy Electric Cooperative has shown some interest but will wait to see if the issue passes before it conducts a study and decides to make an offer. Evergy is also a possibility as a buyer.
Mrs. Bonnett said if the issue doesn’t pass or the city doesn’t get a reasonable offer, they will probably renew the contract with Evergy or see if Grundy Electric has an interest in supplying the city with electricity. Even if it does pass, the city may need to look at renewing with Evergy for a shorter contract period until a buyer is found and the transition is made.
Galt city voters can vote absentee at the courthouse until 5 p.m. Monday, April 5 or on election day from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Galt Baptist Church.