THE BATTALION
THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 3, 1977
Page 3
m/Power companies negotiate sales
o halt rising fuel costs in Texas
initi’d Press international tomers are being assessed too high a submitting contracts worked out by Austin’s municipal power the past two
ie Rudder
in the fall
i Student
the Texas
urthouse,
absentee
J amend- ^
Uni It'd Press International
lUSTIN — Texas’ Public Utility
jnmission ordered power com-
ies across the state to begin
lotiations to arrange sales of
[ap electricity to utilities facing
generating costs, Wednesday.
|he three-man commission also
roved 2-1 a $44.1 million, 13.2
Icent increase in electricity rates
the Texas Electric Service Co.
tommissioner Garrett Morris ar-
ied unsuccessfully for a $32.2 mil-
increase. He said TESCO’s cus
tomers are being assessed too high a
portion of host for construction of
new lignite and nuclear-powered
plants.
Morris also said TESCO custom
ers are entitled to credit for profits
the Fort Worth based utility makes
on sales of its cheap excess power to
other utilities.
Commissioner Alan R. Erwin said
state officials can determine how the
proceeds from sales of excess power
will be used when utilities began
submitting contracts worked out by
negotiators.
Erwin proposed the resolution
pushing well-off utilities to sell elec
tricity to other power companies as
a way to curb spiraling costs in areas
facing excessive fuel costs.
During September, for example,
an Austin resident paid $47.48 for
1,000 kilowatts of electricity com
pared to $30.85 paid by a Fort
Worth resident using the same
amount of power.
School property tax rate rises
es
(Continued from page 1)
000 off their property assess-
int. The school board raised this
In $6,000 July 13, and this year
I taxpayers are using the exemp-
ay, a sur-
)t reaped
rnational
itors, and
onse was
■r regions
rhaps the
.■fusion of
sell Dam
it list’’ of
tep. Otto
;e sum of
! scandal,
ney from
1 commit-
especially
usands of
tertain buildings and acreage
|d exclusively for religious wor-
are exempted as are all federal,
le, city and school district prop-
jty. Veterans are eligible for a re
action in assessed value based on a
ircentage of a service-connected
lability.
[There is also an agricultural
Imption, and in the Consolidated
lool district it is causing a lot of
luble.
Nearly everything around here
[poor land of low productivity,”
J Butler. “Most of the land in the
trict is unsuited for crop pro-
ktion.” In order to cpialify for the
Imption, a farmer must spend
over half his time and get over half
his income from working the land.
Because of the poor quality of the
soil, raising cattle is the main ag
ricultural land use and most farmers
supplement their income with a job
in town. Only 24 parcels of farm
land have qualified for the agricul
tural exemption out of 977 within
the district. That is about two and a
half percent.
For those taxpayers irked enough
to complain their revaluation was
too high, a board of equalization,
independent from the tax office and
school board, is set up every year to
investigate.
During eight days of open hear
ings in August, 275 people appeared
before the board and some 771
properties were reviewed. Of that,
337 properties were lowered in as
sessment value, 10 were raised and
424 properties remained un
changed. The school districts total
value changed by $11,509,650, rep
resenting a loss of four and a quarter
percent.
“The only recourse a citizen has
now,’’ Natowitz said, “is to go
through the courts.
“It is my feeling that the assess
ment is a fair and equitable as it can
be. I think that he (Ellis) has done a
fairly reasonable job.’
Natowitz summed up his feelings
about the revaluation, “I think we
were long overdue.”
Austin’s municipal power
generators VO-ere operating at near
capacity, Erwin said, while more
than 40 percent of TESCO’s
generating plant remained idle &
“costing its ratepayers but bene
fiting them little.”
TESCO officials and representa
tives of Houston Lighting & Power
Co., Texas Power 6c Light, Dallas
Power 6c Light, Gulf States Utility
Co., El Paso Electric Service Co.,
Central Power & Light of Corpus
Christi, West Texas Utility, and
municipal utilities in Austin, San
Antonio and Brownsville, endorsed
the plan to push economy sales.
A spokesman for Central Power 6c
Light and West Texas Utility said
economy sales have saved Central
customers more than $6 million in
the past two years and delayed the
need for an increase in rates charged
West Texas customers.
Frederick H. Ritts of Washing
ton, attorney for Tex-La Electric
Cooperatives, opposed the move,
saying the Utility Commission lacks
the authority to issue such a direc
tive without adopting a formal rule
on economy sales.
“I think the resolution is a public
statement of our desire to tell the
utilities of this state to try to work in
the direction of trying to furnish
electricity as cheaply as possible to
citizens of this state, ’’ said Commis
sion Chairman George Cowden.
“We are paying through the nose
for our own energy needs and if
there is a way to reduce costs, we
must identify it and utilize it,’’
Erwin added.
EXTENDED
By popular demand, the free head and shoulders
portrait sitting offer has been extended through
November.
If you didn’t receive your coupon over the summer, call for
details.
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#
First name
Initial
Last name
Local address....
Citv
Stott?
Home Address
City
State
Age Married □ Spouse’s name
Unmarried □ SeparatedD Phone no
Maj. Subject
Class status: Jr. □ Sr. □ Grad. □
University/College
Parent, guardian
or nearest relative
Name
Phone no.
Number and Street
Bank at
City
State Zip
Checking □ Savings □
Loan □
Have you or your spouse ever had a Foley's account?
If yes, account number or Name :
Date Signature
f*l *
loT
eys