Troy to Water Co.: Dry Up

The Troy Township Board of Trustees cast its lot with the the Illinois Attorney General and the Camelot Homeowners Association in opposing a possible doubling of water rates in the unincorporated subdivision.

The board voted unanimously during its Monday night meeting to pass a resolution asking the Illinois Commerce Commission to reject Camelot Utilities’ proposed 212 percent water and sewer rate increases.

According to a statement released by the township, the "resolution states the consumers’ reliance on the utilities’ promise to serve also includes reliance on the Illinois Commerce Commission to assure rates are changed gradually and consumers are not faced with rate shock due to the company’s failure to reasonably manage its own operations."

Camelot Utilities currently charges an average utility rate, the statement says, but the "company’s proposal will create an above average rate without justification, which is unfair to consumers."

“Increasing the rate of sewer and water at a time when Troy Township residents are struggling to make ends meet is wrong for the economy and wrong for the residents of Camelot and Camelot Woods subdivisions,” Troy Township Trustee Jim McFarland said, according to the statement.

"The Troy Township government is respectfully requesting the Illinois Commerce Commission enter an order to reject the proposed rate increases because they are unreasonable and would constitute rate shock for the residents of Camelot and Camelot Lakes," the statement said.