‘Trust in God, But Tie Your Horse’: Councilwoman Says Audit of CPS Energy Would Provide Transparency
January 10, 2022 - San Antonio
Building trust after the storm. “I’ve listened to constituents and to the reasoning for a [CPS Energy] rate increase. I am considering voting in favor of the request but will do so with the transparency of an exhaustive audit and the scrutiny to the Public Utilities Committee,” said District 6 Councilmember Melissa Cabello Havrda (pictured). Photo: Jade Esteban Estrada.
By Jade Esteban Estrada, Co-Editor | San Antonio Sentinel
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- On Friday, D6 Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda requested a third-party audit of CPS Energy's finances and management practices
- CPS Energy has asked City Council to approve a rate request that would increase its base rate by 3.85 percent
On Friday, District 6 Councilmember Melissa Cabello Havrda sent a formal request to CPS Energy Interim CEO Rudy Garza, and the CPS Energy board of directors, asking the city-owned utility to conduct a third party audit and provide a public budget and processes document that examines, in detail, the organization’s finances and management practices.
CPS Energy has asked the San Antonio City Council to approve a rate request that would increase its base rate by 3.85 percent.
This has been the subject of a citywide conversation for several months, and three things seem to be abundantly clear: there is a palpable lack of community trust toward CPS Energy, which has been owned by the City of San Antonio since 1942; the coronavirus pandemic and the Winter Storm Uri have placed CPS Energy in a challenging financial position; and there is an urgent need for critical infrastructure upgrades.
“In a municipality-owned utility, it is the rate payers who carry the burden of setting standards and providing the monetary means to meet expectations through paying their utility bill,” said Cabello Havrda, who sits on the City Council’s Public Utilities Committee. “CPS Energy is a community asset and we must work together to achieve a delicate balance of trust and accountability.”
CPS Energy leadership has assured the community that in 18 months the utility will close its two coal-powered generators; that the rate increase will provide infrastructure upgrades; that it will pay for the costs incurred during Winter Storm Uri; that the most vulnerable citizens will not endure an unfair cost burden; that San Antonio will be better for it; and that residents should trust that all of these things will ultimately happen.
Though CPS leadership faces the challenge of regaining the community’s trust, the Northwest Side councilwoman feels confident that Garza and his management team can provide both the leadership and cultural changes the public is demanding.
“There’s an adage that says, ‘Trust in God, but tie your horse. I’ve listened to constituents and to the reasoning for a rate increase. I am considering voting in favor of the request but will do so with the transparency of an exhaustive audit and the scrutiny to the Public Utilities Committee,” said Cabello Havrda.
“In the end, it’s a delicate matter of openness and transparency.”
Jade Esteban Estrada is a co-editor for the San Antonio Sentinel, where he covers public health and other citywide issues. jade@sasentinel.com | Twitter: @satx_writer