Have you voted yet??  Important decisions are being make!!

If you have already had your say,  through your ballot, on how our government will be run in the future, THANK YOU!!

For those of you who haven't done the deed yet, please do so, you have until the poles close on Tuesday evening to make a difference!!!

For those still pondering who you will choose, I ask that you select me to be your new PUD Commissioner.  Whomever you choose for PUD Commissioner will be one of three making the critical decisions for the next six years.

With the challenges facing our PUD, this is not the time for a novice, inexperienced Commissioner to receive on-the-job training.  During my 40 years as an elected Public Hospital District Commissioner, I have been a part of the transformation of a small rural hospital into an integrated healthcare system, Jefferson Healthcare,  with an annual budget of over 77 million dollars and 580 employees.

This experience in this office, very similar to that of a PUD Commissioner, has prepared me to take on a this new challenge.  I have received the training on,  and support, the Open Public Meetings and Public Records Acts (most recent training on July 16, 2014) and understand the difference between the duties of a Commissioner and those of staff, knowledge that can make a great difference on how the well our PUD operates.

  I have been studying the operations of our PUD and other PUD's and will be ready to hit the ground running on January 2, 2015

Although the PUD Commissioner race may not be as important as, say, who will be judge or county commissioner, but, please, remember that the three Commissioners that make up the Board will decide the future of our electrical and water systems, critical to future.

Our PUD has incurred a public debt of over $115,000,000.00 (one hundred fifteen million dollars) and will be required to start paying, in March, 2015, nearly $6,000,000.00 (six million dollars) per year to pay back the loan and this will be for the next 28 years.

Our PUD's budget for 2015 will be over $35,000,000.00 (thirty five million dollars) and the Commissioners make the major decisions how this will be spent.  They will also decide what , if anything, will be done to reduce the burden of winter power bills on our less fortunate neighbors and whether we will have another winter with many of them put into darkness and cold, resulting from having their power disconnected for lack of payment.

The Commissioners will chart the course for the future of energy and water conservation as well as how alternative power sources, such as solar, will fit into their plans.

Choosing your next PUD Commissioner is important and I would appreciate the opportunity to continue a lifetime of serving my community by becoming your new PUD Commissioner.

Thank you
Anthony F. (Tony) De Leo