BULLHEAD CITY – Bullhead City filed litigation last Friday in its ongoing effort to take over the local utility owned and operated by EPCOR Water Arizona, Inc. The City is trying to acquire local EPCOR assets through an eminent domain condemnation action filed in Mohave County Superior Court.
Voters last November approved the city initiative to acquire EPCOR given frustration over multiple rate increases in recent years. The city moved forward with condemnation litigation after ECPCOR publicly rejected its $55-million purchase offer.
“That’s just grossly inadequate to even come close to covering what the fair market value of the system is, as well as the severance charges that will be incurred in the filing,” said Joe Connor, a Chattanooga, Tennessee attorney representing EPCOR. “We view this as a gross misuse of the police power of eminent domain, particularly when we’re going through this coronavirus crisis.”
Conner said the City refused when EPCOR asked for a timeout and a break before the lawsuit was submitted.
“We actually proposed last week when we knew that they were going to file,” Conner said. “We proposed a 60 day stay where they would take 60 days…just to give the state and the community a chance to get through the worst part of this COVID-19 crisis.”
Judge Lee Jantzen scheduled an initial hearing April 7 in what is expected to be a long and expensive legal battle.
“What I tell my folks is saddle up and hold on,” Conner said.
- Dave Hawkins
