SCRANTON, Pa. — Note: The above story ran Nov. 16.
Scranton and Dunmore officials sent a letter Friday to the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission requesting a public hearing on Pennsylvania American Water’s proposed rate hikes.
The letter comes roughly a month after the utility company gave notice to customers that their water bills could see a 25% bump in the coming year.
Officials from Scranton and Dunmore said an in-person hearing would allow the public to “share their perspective face-to-face” and offered Scranton City Hall as a venue.
Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti’s office said in a statement that, “we understand how painful these hikes would be for our residents.”
Meanwhile, Dunmore Mayor Max Conway said his borough’s residents cannot bear another massive rate hike.
The PUC is expected to hold a pre-hearing on the rate cases later this month, Cognetti’s office said.