Should Prichard Water Board Be Abolished?

Prichard Mayor Ron Davis said he would be open to the idea of abolishing the Prichard Water Works and Sewer Board.
Davis made that statement Thursday night at a Prichard City Council meeting.
People angry about high water rates came to the meeting to see what could be done to reduce them.
Some have complained about water bills as high as $100 a month or more.
Rates are set by the Prichard Water Works and Sewer Board.
Severia Morris of Prichard said, "We have citizens, senior citizens, and people that are on fixed income. Single family parents cannot afford it."
But Davis said, "This council appoints those officials to the water board and, after that point, they (council members) have no control over what they do."
Davis said the State of Alabama has authority over the water board, not the city.
Davis said, "We need to find out what we can do to get help from our state officials and if we can get any grants that can help alleviate the water board with any type of increases."
Morris said, "From here, we are going to our senators, we are going to our representatives, we are going to Montgomery."
But some progress may be made on an issue the citizens group and the mayor said they were both upset about.
It can cost $275 for copies of minutes of the Prichard Water Board meeting.
Willie Huntley is the attorney for the both the Prichard City Council and the Prichard Water Board.
When asked if he was going to tell the board about that, Huntley said, "The board is in the process of reviewing the current policy as it relates to open records and I anticipate that the board is going to take some action with regard to that at its next available meeting."
When asked if there could be relief coming, Huntley said, "That's correct."
As for getting help from the state, the Alabama State Legislature is in session right now so, if any action is taken, now may be the time.