Lawyers will win (August 12, 2015)
The real winner in Apple Valley’s bid to buy out Ranchos Water Company’s service territory will be high-priced attorneys and consultants who will make millions off of the drawn out eminent domain lawsuit that will inevitably happen if the Town Council moves forward. Other cities that tried acquiring private water companies show that this could take years to resolve.
Our water infrastructure needs to be modernized and upgraded and finding ways to pay for this should be our focus. A long eminent domain lawsuit won’t help fund the improvements we need for the future. And how will it lower water rates if Apple Valley has to pay $50 million on top of the legal fees to buy it in the first place?
— Austin Schneider, Apple Valley
Source: Daily Press