I commend the LPEA board of directors for their quick action to support the community. The delay of a rate increase and the allocation of community support funds were possible because they had the forethought to create a stabilization fund. This is a great example of fiduciary responsibility in action.
Sue McWilliams’ letter (“It’s time to really grill La Plata Electric,” March 13) asserts the LPEA board is not transparent and neglects its fiduciary responsibility. If this were true, LPEA would have not been able to step up for our community.
It seems fair to compare her record at the Empire Electric Association to her claim of irresponsibility by the LPEA board. Empire has not acted in the same way for its local community. McWilliams spent her time on the Empire board advocating for Tri-State instead of putting community first. This might be the reason.
Significantly more co-op information is available on LPEA’s site; videos of full board meetings, tax returns, annual reports and minutes of committee meetings are all public. Empire has none.
In addition, LPEA spending is either equal to or better than that of Empire. McWilliams was and still is an advocate for Tri-State, putting its fossil-fuel agenda above community needs. She is claiming she is for the future, but if you look at her record, this is another example of someone saying exactly the opposite of what they mean.
Jessica WheelerDurango
