Elizabeth City Utilites are too high

I carefully read the two articles posted earlier in this thread. Both point to the over 2 BILLION dollar debt that has to be paid off because the Brunswick and Shearon Harris nuclear power plants aren't as profitable or efficient as was thought. This is due to the fact that industrial users of electricity have shut down and, ,more importantly, no new industry is coming to areas served by NCEMPA because of high cost. 

The other, more subtle point is that when this nuclear deal was made, the deal exempted cities from any sort of rate regulation. The cities, like Elizabeth City, are free to charge more than the actual cost of electricity and transfer the profits to the city "general fund". So, when a business in downtown E. City goes out of business or moves to an area not served by E. City utilities, the city loses tax income, business license income, and electricity income. So, E. City jacks up the electricity costs to make up for the lost income. So the next time you go down to City Hall, you can feel good about the fact that your outrageous electricity bill is keeping a city worker employed!

It's a death spiral for the city. Very few businesses are going to open downtown because the electricity is way too expensive. The remaining businesses and residents have to foot the bill for the city's lost income, which can drive an otherwise profitable company out of business. The city then loses income, jacks up electricity, and the circle keeps on going. 

This is extremely short sighted by Elizabeth City. There are several elections coming up, including mayor. I would advise anyone living in the E. City limits to demand to hear the plan each mayoral candidate has for E. City utilities. If any of the candidates have a town hall meeting, I will be there asking that question. If things continue the way they are going, this town will be bankrupt by 2020.