Residents Question Claims and Transparency Surrounding Proposed SSA#1 Sewer Sale, Especially the Predicted Monthly Savings of 34 Cents if Sale is Approved
GraniteCityGossip.com, April 16, 2026
Residents in the unincorporated 62040 area , including Pontoon Beach and Mitchell , may soon face a major change to their sewer service, yet many still have no idea the proposal even exists.
The potential sale of Special Service Area #1 (SSA #1) to Illinois American Water has been discussed quietly for months, with no public meetings, no published notices, and no outreach to the thousands of customers who would be directly affected.
Only after local residents and unnamed county representatives raised the alarm and GraniteCityGossip.com published an article online, did other news outlets begin covering the issue. Until then, the county had released no information to the public.
Now, as more details emerge, many residents are questioning the accuracy of statements made about the system’s finances and the urgency behind the push to sell.
Rate Increase Claims Raise More Questions Than Answers
In a recent Telegraph article, Madison County Board Chairman Chris Slusser is paraphrased as saying that if the sale goes through, sewer rates would “eventually” increase by about $19.66 per month. Without the sale, the county would supposedly need to raise rates by more than $20 per month.
These numbers were not presented as direct quotes. They were not placed in quotation marks. And no source, calculation, or documentation was provided to show where they came from.
Residents are asking:
Who calculated these figures?
What data were they based on?
Why are they not included in any summarized public budget documents?
How can the public verify them?
Several SSA #1 customers have stated they would gladly accept an increase if it meant keeping local control — especially given the alternative. Illinois American Water, after acquiring Granite City’s water treatment plant last year, raised water and sewer rates dramatically. Many residents saw their combined bills triple.
The idea that the county should sell the system to save residents “thirty‑four cents” per month has struck many as absurd.
The $400,000 “Subsidy” Claim — Where Is the Evidence?
The Telegraph article quotes Slusser as saying the county “subsidizes the heck out of” SSA #1. It then paraphrases him as claiming the subsidy is about $400,000 per year.
But again:
The $400,000 figure is not in quotation marks.
No documentation is provided.
No year or timeframe is given.
No budget summary shows such a subsidy.
In fact, the county’s own published budget summaries — including the FY2023, FY2024 and FY2025 Enterprise Fund sections state that SSA #1 is funded by sewer fees, not by the General Fund. There is no line item showing a transfer, subsidy, or interfund support of any kind.
If such a subsidy exists, residents are asking:
In what year did it begin?
Where is it recorded?
Why is it not listed in the Enterprise Fund Summarized budget?
Why has no documentation been provided to support the claim?
At present, SSA #1 is operating more than $11 million in the black. That raises even more questions about why the county would rush to sell a financially healthy system.
Why the Secrecy? Why the Rush?
The most troubling aspect for many residents is the lack of transparency.
No public meetings have been held.
No notices have been published.
No outreach has been made to the thousands of affected customers.
No detailed financials have been released.
No explanation has been given for the urgency.
The only reason the public knows about the proposed sale at all is because local residents uncovered it and published the information themselves. Until then, the issue had not been covered by any news outlet.
Residents are now asking why the county appears so eager to hand over control of sewer rates , and by extension, water rates, to a private company whose shareholders expect a return on investment.
A Simple Question: Why Not Keep Control?
If SSA #1 truly needs a rate increase to fund maintenance or improvements, many residents say the solution is simple:
Raise the rates locally. Keep control locally.
Selling the system to Illinois American Water would give the company the ability to raise both sewer and water rates, indefinitely ,to recover its purchase cost and satisfy shareholders.
Residents in Granite City have already experienced what happens when Illinois American takes over a public utility. Their bills skyrocketed.
The question now being asked across the 62040 area is:
Why would the county voluntarily give up control of a system that is financially stable, fully operational, and currently running a multi‑million‑dollar surplus?
Until clear, verifiable financial documentation is released, including the source of the alleged $400,000 subsidy and the years involved, many residents remain skeptical of the claims being made and the motives behind the proposed sale.