Two bills Sen. Chuck Weaver (R-Peoria) says will ensure there won't be a repeat of past problems with Peoria's water system were reviewed by a Senate subcommittee recently.
“The city has been looking into purchasing their water system for many years,” Weaver said, according to a press release. “This legislation would allow the citizens of Peoria to have a better understanding of what they’re buying and what a fair price is for the system."
Senate Bill 1092 would require the city's water suppliers to provide thorough information on pricing and infrastructure details, while Senate Bill 1093 would improve the procedure of determining how much the city will spend on a water system.
Sen. Chuck Weaver (R-Peoria)
| http://www.ilga.gov/default.asp
“We have the second highest rates in the state of Illinois,” Cheryl Budzinski, a member of the League of Women Voters of Greater Peoria, said, according to the release. “We think we should know why we’re paying more money; we’re right on an aquifer next to the Illinois River.”
The aim of the bills is to prevent a rerun of financial issues regarding a city water system. Joe Glawe of the CEO Council of Peoria testified in support of the legislation.
“The issue arises from different approaches to the appraisal," Glawe said, according to the release. "In 2005, when the City of Peoria went through this process last time, the two different prices came in more than $200 million apart. That’s one of the reasons this legislation needs to go through.”
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