O-1962-649 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

, . , .{ . e HOUSTON LIGHTING Be POWER COMPANY LA PORTE: DIVISION P. O. BOX 666. LA PORTE. TEXAS June 8, 1962 Honorable Mayor and City Commission of the City of LaPorte LaPorte, Texas Gentlemen: As you know, this Company on September 27, 1960, filed with the City of Houston an application to increase its residential and small commer- cial rates. The matter was presented and determined on a system-wide basis. Hearings on the Company's application extended over a period of some twenty months. During this entire time the proceedings were open to the public and each of the municipalities which we are privileged to serve was invited to have representatives present. We are confident that you have followed the matter closely. The evidence presented by the Company, in our opinion, established that it was entitled to a system-wide increase in its net return of not less than $3,767,000. The Houston Council, however, found that "said company be, and it is hereby, granted an increase in its rates for service to domestic and commercial customers within the City of Houston which will, if accompanied by increases of like amount throughout its system, produce an increase in its system-wide net revenues by an amount not to exceed $1, 900,000 annually based on 1960 operations". Pursuant to this finding the Houston City Council by ordinance passed on June 5, 1962 raised the Houston rates to provide Hous- ton t s pro rata part. Although the Company feels very strongl y that it is entitled to the full increase applied for, ana though the new rates are lower than the Company deems proper, nevertheless it feels that it is in the best interest of its customers and the Company to put an end to this matter by accepting the new rates. Appropriate new rates to effect changes in LaPorte proportional to those in Houston are attached to this letter. These new rates will become effective as to each customer in your municipality for all service taken on and . after their next regular meter reading. This is the first increase in the 79 years of this Company's history. With the cost of everything else at peak levels, and still rising, we think you will agree that some relief for the Company is necessary. Eighty per cent of the major cities of the United States have had increases in their electric rates within the past ten years. There have been similar increases in a majority of