SOUTH RIVER — For the second consecutive meeting, Democratic Councilman Matthew Vaughn motioned July 25 to lower the borough’s electric rates by 10 percent.
And for the second time, the council voted against the move. The motion went down in a vote of 3-2, with Vaughn and fellow Democratic Councilman Rui Almeida in support, and Republicans John Krenzel, John Trzeciak and Jim Hutchison voting in dissent.
Democratic Councilman Peter Guindi was not present at the meeting.
When the council voted on the same motion July 11, it wound up in a party-line tied vote, with Guindi joining the other Democrats in support. Republican Mayor Raymond T. Eppinger broke the tie at that meeting.
“Our residents and businesses need some help with their expenses, and here is one way this council can help make at least one portion of their lives a little easier,” Vaughn said.
Trzeciak asked what would happen with the electric budget in the long term if the rates were lowered by 10 percent.
Eppinger suggested that Vaughn and Almeida use the borough’s resources to create a PowerPoint presentation to show how they would cut 10 percent from the electric utility. The council members then moved forward with a motion for them to do so.
“The presentation will show the impact of the 10 percent in electric rate cuts in the borough over a five-year period going forward,” Eppinger said.
Vaughn and Almeida voted in favor of the motion, and are expected to present their findings to the board at the council meeting on Aug. 22.