Before
the Fairfax County Consumer Protection Commission
Re:
City of Falls Church Water Rates
Oral Comments
of Fairfax County Citizen Kirk F. Randall
September
20, 2011
Chairman
Fee, Commissioners –
My
name is Kirk Randall. My family has
purchased water from the City of Falls Church for 52 years at our property in
McLean.
My
comments are a synopsis of the prepared comments that I asked Consumer Affairs
staff to forward to you last week.
I’m
sure you already know the sad saga of Falls Church’s greed, lack of meaningful
oversight, and lack of transparency that led to its extracting many tens of
millions of dollars from the 110,000 Fairfax County residents who purchase water
from the City.
The
City has been untrustworthy in the past, and there is no indication it should
be trusted in the future to treat its captive Fairfax County customers fairly.
In
my prepared testimony, I presented you with six options that the Board of
Supervisors should consider at this time.
I hope you will carefully study these options and present them in your
report for consideration by the Board.
Five
of the six options entail the County taking on Fall Church, whether in the
regulatory arena, the Virginia legislature, or with the cooperation of the
Fairfax County Water Authority. The
sixth option – doing nothing – is unacceptable as it would just give Falls
Church tacit permission to continue its egregious behavior.
Four
of these options could take years to implement.
And, rest assured that during those years the City will spend as much
Fairfax County ratepayer revenues as it takes to repel all attempts to enact change. The City treats its Fairfax County customers
as a source of limitless funds which it freely spends on lobbyists and lawyers.
Only
one option can be implemented immediately to help the citizens of the County. As Supervisor Faust has already stated, the
Board of Supervisors can – right now – regulate the rate Falls Church charges Fairfax
County water customers under Virginia Code Section
15.2-2111. Yes, the Board of Supervisors
would need to staff up its Consumer Affairs department or hire consultants to
implement a new regulatory scheme. But as
I have previously told the Supervisors, the cost would be a pittance compared
to the savings County citizens would enjoy.
I
hope you will recommend that the Board immediately implement regulatory
oversight of Falls Church under existing law.
No more hearings. No more
studies. This issue is clearly framed
and understood by all. The Commission –in
its role as protector of the Fairfax County consumer – should advise the Board
to immediately stop the abuse that Falls Church is inflicting upon its Fairfax
County customers.
Thank
you for your attention. I will be pleased
to answer any questions you may have, whether right now or after the meeting.
Kirk
F. Randall, McLean
(h)
703-425-0210
(c)
703-887-4690
Kirk_Randall@Hotmail.com
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