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Marble Falls rejects ATMOS gas hike

Adobe Stock image for illustrative purposes.

The Marble Falls City Council on Jan. 7 shot down a proposed rate increase from natural gas provider ATMOS Energy. ATMOS will likely appeal the rejection. The company seeks to raise $16.73 million from customers across its Mid-Tex division, which includes Marble Falls and Burnet.

ATMOS’ proposal would have raised average monthly rates for residential users in Marble Falls by 9.41 percent from $84.03 a month to $91.94 a month. The council unanimously passed a resolution that rejected the hike during its Tuesday night meeting.

“ATMOS Energy has not done, in the near past, a lot of upgrades in our community,” Mayor Dave Rhodes said prior to the council’s vote. “I think we’re being asked to pay for capital improvements on a larger scale.”

City staff and legal counsel from Herrera Law & Associates PLLC, which represents a large coalition of cities within ATMOS’ Mid-Tex division, recommended rejecting the rate increase because the company’s application “fails to show that its rates are just and reasonable.”

The natural gas provider submitted an application for the proposed increase on Dec. 16  with the Texas Railroad Commission

The Mid-Tex division is large, extending from San Angelo in the western portion of the state to Corsicana on the eastern side. In total, the division is made up of 46 towns collectively referred to as “ATM Cities.” 

According to Herrera Law & Associates, which represents those cities when it comes to rate changes, ATMOS will likely appeal the rejection of its proposed rate and the matter will be addressed again before April 20.

dakota@thepicayune.com