Weatherly Borough Council signed an electric contract in September that promised to save the borough $2 million over 10 years.

So the mayor/council president was upset when he recently found out that the borough will be unable to offer residents a reduction in the cost they pay the borough for electric service this year.

“How do you sign a deal saying it’s gonna be lower, but then it isn’t lower?” Tom Connors said during a council meeting Monday night.

He was responding to advice from a consultant recommending that the borough keep rates at their current levels, at least for 2018. Residents pay 12.7 cents per kilowatt hour, the same rate that has been charged since 2010, according to officials.

Weatherly is one of 35 towns around the state that has its own electric company. Last year, the borough signed a contract that saves $2 million on its electric supply through 2027.

At the time, Connors said he was excited to pass along that savings to residents.

“We made the statement, ‘we’re gonna save our residents money on the electric.’ Now it looks like we’re not saving them anything. Quite honestly, I don’t want to be fooled either.”

Electric supply is not the only cost on an electric bill — there’s also transmission and capacity costs.

Those have gone up this year, as the consultant, Utility Engineers, PC, said in a letter to borough manager Harold Pudliner last month.

The net result is that borough residents will see their utility bills stay the same, and even increase slightly.

“Our energy rate is fixed, what we’re buying it at. It’s the other costs that are fluctuating at this point. Looking at 2019, it may flip around,” Pudliner said.

Pudliner said it’s likely that had the borough not approved the new electric supply contract last year, they would have had to raise electric rates for residents this year.

Connors said that he would like to have Utility Engineers, based in Luzerne County, come to a council meeting and explain how the costs have increased. Pudliner said he would attempt to have them attend an upcoming meeting.

Council also approved a new electric ordinance for residents, which includes policy changes recommended by Pennsylvania Municipal Electric Association, the organization which represents the 35 municipalities who have their own electric companies. Solicitor James Nanovic said that the new ordinance should not have any noticeable effect on residents.

Other business

• Council approved a three-year contract with its two full-time police officers, effective Jan. 1.

• Council approved a new complaint form that will be available for residents who wish to comment on borough services. Written complaints will be forwarded directly to council for discussion.

• A special Saturday meeting aimed at senior citizens and others who cannot make the normal council meetings has been rescheduled for 10 a.m.-noon on April 14.

• Pudliner announced that street sweeping has been tentatively scheduled for the week of April 16.

• Connors asked council members to take note of blighted properties around the borough and report back at the next council meeting.