Letter to the Editor: RMLD Board Member Endorses West

Letter to the editor 

Today I rise in support of Marsie West and ask the voters of the Town of Reading to elect her to the Reading Municipal Light Department Board of Commissioners.

Marsie first of all has a strong financial and organizational background that will be an asset to both the Commission and the Department. Her business background as 1st Vice President in the Operations Strategy Group at BNY Mellon will bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Commission.

Marsie will represent the consumer in the RMLD service territory. Her work with the Town of Reading Finance Committee and Reading Town Meeting has demonstrated to me her concern for the citizens of the Town. I feel she will bring those attributes in a way that best serves all the ratepayers of the service territory well.

Finally Marsie will act in the best interest of the ratepayers with regard to the ongoing issue of the Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs.

The Commission in a recent vote decided to retire the RECs. The action to forego the entire $30 million potential benefit, as the majority voted, I feel was an act that was far from being in the best interest of the RMLD customers. I feel the majority has lost its way and has not represented the RMLD ratepayers correctly.

I voted not to retire the RECs but to sell them and realize the benefit. I further this week have issued a proposal on what a possible course of action should be going forward.

This election should be viewed as a referendum on the issue of what to do with the RECs. If the voters want to forego the $30 million they should vote for the status quo. If the voters want to realize the $30 million benefit of selling the RECs, I ask they stand with me and vote for change. Marsie West represents that change.

Respectfully submitted,

Philip B. Pacino

25 year member of the RMLD Board of Commissioners