HIGHLAND | Voters will decide in November whether to opt out of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, Town Council members said Monday.

Officials have said the town spends unnecessary money to petition the IURC for water rate increases, and the council voted unanimously May 12 to leave the commission.

In response, some Highland residents, including Rick Volbrecht, said the town should not have the power to impose rate increases on its own. Volbrecht said he gathered enough signatures to force the issue onto a referendum this fall.

Clerk-Treasurer Michael Griffin said the petition included 87 pages and 274 valid signatures. Only 118 were needed to require the referendum.

The council says it can cost the town as much as $50,000 to hire consultants to help make its case to the IURC.

Based on 10,000 Highland water rate payers, this only amounts to $5 per year apiece, or 42 cents a month, Volbrecht said.

"Forty-two cents per month for each of 12 months is a very cheap cost," Volbrecht said.

The discussion became heated after Councilman Mark Herak, Highland First Coalition-2nd, and the Rev. Arthur Burkman, of the Water Board, said the opposition to opting out is a matter of politics.

"Your motives are tainted" and so are those of the Republican Party, which lost the recent council election, Herak said to Volbrecht.

"This thing, frankly, is politically motivated," Burkman said, adding that some people were claiming the Water Board plans a boost in rates. "We have done very frugal, conservative financial management. There is no plan to increase rates at this time."

Volbrecht said he went around town with the petition and that 80 percent to 90 percent of people could see no advantage to leaving the IURC.

"I resent to the Nth degree ... that you would question my motives," Volbrecht said.

He insisted that he represents only himself and others who oppose opting out.

Griffin said the council had no choice but approve a resolution to certify that the issue must appear on the fall election ballot.

The council's vote was unanimous.