Image by Joel M. Williams
By JOEL M. WILLIAMSThis is how I see the tax/fee operations in Los Alamos County. The school system is autonomous and separate from the rest. The Utilities Department is separate from the other departments of the County’s operations that are under the ultimate jurisdiction of the county council.
Per the LAC website “The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) operates the county-owned electric, gas, water & wastewater systems under the jurisdiction of the Board of Public Utilities. Established under Article V. of the 1968 Charter for the Incorporated County of Los Alamos (PDF), the DPU provides payments to Los Alamos County in lieu of the franchise fees and taxes that would normally be assessed against a privately-owned utility.”
Apparently, by necessity, it needs to be separated out as it is. It is also the ONLY County department “run” by a board! All other boards are “advisory”.
So, what are the citizens of Los Alamos being asked to vote on with respect to the utilities issue? I am guessing that the board “has” to be appointed, rather than be elected as the Los Alamos Public School Board is, to keep it a “public utility” under the county government. If the Department of Utilities must remain separated from other County departments, as it is now, then it should to be as autonomous as possible and not less so as appears to be the intent of the charter change.
If, on the other hand, the object of the charter change is to begin “easing” the Department of Utilities back in line with the other departments of the county’s operation with the BPU becoming an advisory one as are all of the others, then what we are being asked to endorse, by our vote, is deceptive.
If the Department of Utilities needs to be separate, then you need to vote “NO” on ballot question #2. If you want the Department of Utilities to be another department under the County Administrator, you still need to vote “NO” on ballot question #2.
If the amendment is voted down, the council needs to put the proper question to you about whether you as a citizen want the Department of Utilities completely separate under a board (with whatever strings are required for tax purposes to remain a public utility) or rolled into the county’s normal operation (if possible while retaining its tax status). This seemed like the question that should have been put forth anyway! The necessary charter changes would follow naturally.