Alameda Municipal Power Budget Workshop, Rate Increase, Next Monday

Alameda Municipal Power, a city-owned utility, will host a public budget workshop next Monday, April 16, in advance of finalizing its 2012/2013 fiscal year budget.

The budget workshop will begin at 4 p.m. at the Alameda Main Library at 1550 Oak Street; utility staff will present its proposed 2013 fiscal year budget to the City of Alameda’s Public Utilities Board.

Later that evening, at 7 p.m. at Alameda City Hall, Alameda Municipal Power will present at a regular public utilities board meeting, and ask the board to improve a rate increase for the 2013 fiscal year.

If the proposal is approved, the average system-wide rate increase will be 3.25%

Alameda Municipal Power is expecting a revenue shortfall for fiscal year 2013, and insists that the rate increase is necessary to generate roughly $1.4 million to offset that shortfall.

The increase would be the third in a 5 year rate increase plan approved by the public utilities board in 2010.