HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Hagerstown may consider the acquisition of the Smithsburg water system, an arrangement at least one Hagerstown council member could lower customer bills and improve the utility’s long-term financial footing.
Councilman William Aleshire said “acquiring” better describes the potential transaction than purchasing because it could involve taking on another utility’s assets and obligations rather than making a traditional cash purchase.
The possibility first arose several years ago during a public meeting with the Smithsburg Town Council, Aleshire said. Hagerstown already provides water service in the area.
According to Aleshire, an acquisition could save the average Smithsburg customer about $90 per quarter.
He said smaller utilities face financial challenges because they must spread fixed operating costs across fewer customers. Combining systems could distribute those expenses over a larger customer base.
“As a manager of a small town that owns and operates a small utility, you live and die basically by your customer base size,” Aleshire said.
He said he hopes to continue discussions with Smithsburg officials and residents, with an emphasis on the system’s long-term needs rather than immediate benefits alone.
“I don’t look at, you know, what is good in the moment,” Aleshire said. “We should always be looking at, okay, here’s where these things operate now, and here’s where the system is. What’s good over the next 20 years?”
Aleshire said he is willing to speak with Smithsburg residents about the potential acquisition and the reasoning behind it.
