IT WON'T STING...IT WILL HURT BAD!

Our municipal owned electric utility here in Lakeland is well known for being one of the most expensive of it's kind in Florida. As a matter of fact, only the electric utilities in Key West, Fort Meade, Tallahassee, and Ocala are more expensive. But the local boys apparantly want to give the other cities a run for their money.

The Lakeland City Commission's Utility Committee --- which includes all seven city commissioners --- approved unanimously the largest rate hike in the history of the electric service Monday afternoon, $11.40 per 1,000 kilowatt hours. The increase has to be approved by City Commissioners at a special meeting, expected to take place next week.

That means that the average consumer will see an increase of approximately $14.82 a month on their bill. That would leapfrog Lakeland over Fort Meade, Tallahassee, and Ocala to make our electric bills more expensive than any city in Florida outside the Keys.

Although rising natrual gas prices are being blamed for the huge hike (natrual gas is burned in all but one of Lakeland Electric's generators), much of the reason is the bad contract Lakeland Electric signed with the Florida Municipal Power Agency which has cost the local utility $19 million in lost revenue this year alone. It was no secret that the continued screwing local consumers have received from their city-owned electric service was a major story in the recent municipal election.

A lot of people here are gonna be hurt by this, especially the elderly and low income customers. And, sadly, there's not a great deal of help available for those folks.