Proposed for 2007 is $470 million budget

EPHRATA — Senior financial staff members for Grant County Public Utility District presented a $470 million proposed budget for 2007, during four public information meetings around the county last week.

The proposed 2007 budget, up from $411 million in 2006, contains no increases in retail electricity rates. A financial forecast, included in the budget, projects no increases in electricity rates through 2012.

The proposed 2007 budget is scheduled for adoption by the PUD commission in December, following last week's public meetings in Ephrata, Moses Lake, Mattawa and Quincy.

Construction of the utility district's Zipp fiber optic network, halted since April 2005, may continue this year, according to the budget. As proposed, the budget contains $1 million to expand the Zipp network.

Commissioners-elect Bob Bernd, of Moses Lake, and Terry Brewer, of Soap Lake, campaigned in favor of continued build out of the Zipp network.

Currently, the fiber optic network is built to provide service to approximately 10,500 retail customers in Grant County. Twenty-two Internet providers are using the system to deliver Internet services and access to about 4,200 retail customers.