No Merger for City of Kingsland Water

KINGSLAND - After learning that the city will not be consolidating its water operations with any other providers, the Kingsland City Council approved a motion to hire someone to shut off water service to delinquent customers while also discussing raising the connect fee for new customers.Meanwhile, the council also approved Mayor Sharon Crosby's request to rescind her letter of resignation she submitted last month, and the council unanimously accepted her decision to rescind it.Crosby told the council that it was her intentions to step down and let the city council appoint someone to complete her term. However, she learned that state law requires the city to hold a special election to replace her since she had more than a year left in her term. Rather than force the city to incur that expense of a special election, she said she decided to stay instead.At the start of last Thursday's regular monthly council meeting, Crosby said Kaleb Parker, the water operator for the West Saline Water Users Association, informed her that the West Saline board had voted not to pursue a possible merger with the City of Kingsland to combine water services.West Saline, Outside Kingsland and the City of Kingsland has held a series of meetings to discuss the possibility of merging the three water systems into one. Crosby said Parker cited that the debt that the City of Kingsland is currently has with its water and wastewater departments was a factor in the West Saline board's decision. The mayor, however, pointed out that the city alone would still be responsible for that debt regardless of a merger.Several West Saline water customers expressed their opposition to the proposed merger during a public meeting held in March at the New Edinburg Community Center. Many attending that meeting were concerned that West Saline customers could end up paying off Kingsland's debt if the city was unable to continuing making its payments.Crosby said there are no other plans to merge with another water…