LIMA, OH (WLIO) - Lima City Council voted on bringing the issue of electric aggregation to the ballot in May.
An ordinance to allow Lima residents to vote on aggregating their electricity did not pass and was sent to be read again Thursday, Jan. 26. If the issue is put on the ballot and passed by voters, a select number of Lima residents would qualify for an opt out contract that would lock in their electricity rate for two years.
Allen County passed a resolution to aggregate their gas utilities this fall, and some council members believe the City of Lima should follow.
"I haven't heard much of anything, bad or good, but a lot of times when you don't have anything that's going bad, you don't hear it, so I'm assuming good," said 1st Ward Councilman Todd Gordon.
The council members who voted 'no' believe putting the issue on the ballot in May doesn't give voters or the council enough time to become fully informed about aggregation.
"It's not a good time to lock people into a long-term contract and then have to navigate through it at the end of it. Let's check, see how the county is doing with theirs, let's see what happens to the market in the next five or six months, and we put it on the ballot in November, and we let the people vote," said 4th Ward Councilwoman Peggy Ehora.
The Lima City Council has until Feb. 1st to pass the ordinance in order to meet the deadline to get the issue put on the ballot in May.
