Houston Borough votes to sell Canonsburg-Houston Joint Sewer Authority
Observer-Reporter
Canonsburg-Houston Joint Authority
A Google Earth view of the Canonsburg-Houston Joint Authority plant from 2016
Houston Borough has voted to sell the Canonsburg-Houston Joint Sewer Authority.
Last month, the joint sewer authority board began the sales process with a vote to sell the authority to the water company Aqua. In order for the sale to proceed, both Houston and Canonsburg boroughs must vote to sell, and the upstream communities (North Strabane, Cecil and Chartiers townships) must OK the service agreement.
Houston Borough Council voted unanimously at Wednesday’s monthly meeting to sell the authority.
“I wasn’t surprised at all,” said Houston Mayor James Stubenbort. “With being a small community, there wasn’t much give or take. We have to look after what’s best for the community. Right now, that’s probably our best option, to go ahead and sell.”
Stubenbort noted that if the authority sale goes through, Houston Borough will no longer be tasked with finding money in the budget to upkeep sewer lines.
“You have to get that money somehow. With the tax base that we have, we really struggle,” he said.
Another upside to selling: the borough, which owns 12% of the authority, will receive some proceeds from the sale.
“That makes a difference. We can probably just survive with our budgets with the interest alone, which would be pretty good for us,” Stubenbort said.
Though Stubenbort admitted initial hesitation about the sale, citing safety concerns and increased rates, which could lead to tax increases, ultimately, he said, the decision to sell is right for Houston right now.
“We’re pretty much in conjunction with agreeing to sell the authority,” he said. “It’s a benefit, in a way, to the community.”
Though the agenda is not yet available, Canonsburg Borough Council plans to vote on the sale during Monday’s monthly voting meeting. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at 68 E. Pike St.
If Canonsburg votes to sell and the upstream communities agree to the Canonsburg-Houston Joint Sewer Authority sale, hearings will be scheduled. The sale must be approved by the state Public Utility Commission before it is finalized.
The process could take two years.