HIGHLAND | Highland residents voted Tuesday to pull the town from under the jurisdiction of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.
A majority yes vote on the referendum question Tuesday means the Highland Town Council no longer needs final approval from the IURC for future water rate hikes.
"The people in town put their trust in the Town Council and Water Board," said council President Bernie Zemen, D-1st.
The council said it costs up to $50,000 to petition the IURC and voted in May to leave the commission. But a resident signature drive, led by residents Rick Volbrecht and Joe Wszolek, forced the referendum.
"The Highland voters have spoken on this issue," Volbrecht said. He also said it was not a level playing field because the council sent a letter to residents expressing only its point of view.
"I'm fine with that," Wszolek said of the vote. Wszolek said he merely wanted to give the residents a chance to speak on the issue one way or the other.
