Woodstock's former mayor has started an online petition to halt the sale of Woodstock Hydro.
WOODSTOCK -- Local residents unhappy with the sale of Woodstock Hydro to Hydro One now have a place to air their frustrations.
Woodstock resident Michael Harding has created an online petition that will be sent directly to Premier Kathleen Wynne, Chair of Hydro One Sandra Pupatello and the Chair of Ontario Energy Board Rosemarie Leclair.
Harding says number one he is asking the Government to halt the process.
"There has not been a lot of public dialogue on it. The Mayor was saying that everybody should have had a chance to examine the detail but no detail is existing and the third thing is to remove the tax."
The petition asks the government to remove the 33% tax penalty for sales of municipal hydro utilities of up to 49%. Harding says such a step would enable the inflow of capital for the future while retaining local control.
He says there is no free market opportunity here that would guarantee the highest price for this 100 year old utility that has served its ratepayers with distinction.
Harding says he spent a number of years on Hydro as Chair of the Holding Company and knows a lot about the utility.
"I've been reading as well that the business is incredibly profitable. In fact, this Hydro utility doesn't cost the tax payer one dollar. In fact, it's contributing and will shortly contribute almost half a million dollars to the tax role to the shareholders."
Harding says it's a very respectable profit, it's highly prized by locals and ought to be protected.
To sign the petition, follow the link: http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/government-of-ontario-halt-the-sale-of-woodstock-hydro
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