Lawsuit settlement to mean a bump in utility charges

The city administrator says a pre-trial settlement of a lawsuit among parties with Westminster’s electric power supplier means the city will have to raise its retail electric power rates.  Administrator Kevin Bronson made the prediction last night, as the city council approved his recommendation to settle the case of Greer and Rock Hill versus the Piedmont Municipal Power Agency.  The allegations in the case involve the contention by Greer and Rock Hill that those two PMPA members have been over-charged and, although Westminster, is not named in the suit, Bronson says, as a member, the city will be assessed part of the agreed $55 million dollar settlement.  Which will mean, he says, Westminster will have to increase its retails rates by about 2.5%.  Westminster City Council agreed to the pre-trial settlement, following a one-hour private briefing last night from Joel Ledbetter of the Easley Commission of Public Works.  Bronson credits Ledbetter with crafting the settlement which must be approved by all PMPA-member cities:  Abbeville, Clinton, Easley, Gaffney, Greer, Laurens, Newberry, Rock Hill, Union, and Westminster.