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Fourteen civil charges alleging negligence, conspiracy and even fraud make up a forty page class action lawsuit filed in Jefferson County Circuit Court on Tuesday.
Attorney Katheryn Harrington says this filing is to bring accountability to the people responsible for soaring sewer rates.
The suit names specifically current Commissioners Bettye Fine Collins, Shelia Smoot, and former Commissioners Larry Langford, Gary White, Jeff Germany, and Mary Buckalew.
Current and former County Commissioners are not the only ones named in this lawsuit. In fact, there's over 500 defendants named including some of the largest banks in the world.
Still, Commissioner Jim Carns says this lawsuit couldn't have come at a worse time. This will do nothing but hurt the county right now. We're a really critical phase. We have until August 1st to solve this problem.
Harrington says that lenders are just as responsible which is why they are included in the suit.
She says they have repeatedly refused to accept responsibility and are placing the burden of digging out of this 3-billion dollar hole on the rate payer. "What was unique about our county that we got the privilege of being charged six times what the prevailing rate is for services other similar counties would receive at a substantially lower fee."
But former Commission President Larry Langford says this suit is targeting the wrong people. "The county had nothing to do with the financial crisis. It's the insurance companies that over extended, yet took all of the premiums and couldn't insure the properties, that triggered this."
Read the suit here.
Want to join the suit contact Hollis, Wright & Harrington, P.C. at 205-324-3600
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