The village of Hartville has placed a ballot issue on the Nov. 3, 2015 general election seeking voter approval to pursue an opt-out natural gas governmental aggregation program.

This initiative, if approved, would give Village Council the authority, but not the obligation, to pursue a natural gas program similar to the electric governmental aggregation program that voters approved in 2010. That program has saved residents and small businesses over $251,000 over the past fiveΩ years.

As with the electric program, if the ballot passes residents won’t notice any changes. Our local utility company will continue to deliver natural gas, read meters, and issue bills. This simply gives the village the ability to seek lower-cost energy suppliers. If passed by the voters, the village will hold public hearings to explain the details of the program. The natural gas and electric programs are two separate programs, participation is purely voluntary, and participation in one does not require participation in the other.

This unique opportunity will provide residents and businesses another option to manage energy bills. I encourage residents to vote for natural gas governmental aggregation!