MEMPHIS, Tenn — Tuesday night, the Memphis City Council voted to approve Memphis Light Gas and Water’s request to raise what citizens pay for electricity by 12%.
The vote came after over an hour of questions for MLGW President and CEO Doug McGowen and public comments from other Memphians present.
During the meeting, McGowen explained again to the council why the proposed hike is necessary to pay for updating the utility's aging infrastructure and reducing power outages. It is MLGW’s fifth rate hike since July 2020.
Spread out over a three year period, the average customer's bill will go up by $5 a month the first year, $10 dollars more a month the second year and by 2026, the average customer would be paying $15 dollars more a month.
21st Century Memphis or Bust co-founder Glenda Hicks said they are “disturbed beyond words.”
“(The council is) just saying ‘Forget you citizens! Forget the issues that you’re dealing with! Forget the fact that you have to decide whether (you’re) going to pay Light Gas and Water or buy food,’” Hicks said.
The group started in 2022 on Nextdoor during the fallout from the 2022 ice storm that left hundreds of thousands of people without power in Memphis over several days.
Frustrated with the lack of answers, Hicks and fellow MLGW customer Jacqueline Leibler started the group. It's intended to engage and keep pressure on MLGW leadership now and ahead of the next major storm.
21st Century Memphis or Bust made one last attempt to delay the vote by two weeks during public comment, but ultimately City Council approved the rate hike.
MLGW'S board approved the rate hike in October, which moved the issue to city council for approval.