Voters in Clinton County's unincorporated townships will decide a November ballot question on whether the county's Board of Commissioners may create a natural gas aggregation program.
Approval would give commissioners authority to bargain bulk supply deals for eligible township residents. The measure would not cover people inside incorporated cities or villages; those residents neither vote on it nor take part in the county program.
Aggregation works by pooling household and small-business demand so a local government can seek fixed or discounted rates and contract terms from certified suppliers. Clinton County, along with some townships and municipalities, already runs a comparable program for retail electricity.
The natural gas plan is structured as opt-out. Eligible customers would be signed up unless they decline. Officials say a mailed notice would precede any contract, listing the chosen supplier, rate, duration and how to leave the program without fees or penalties. Participants could still pick another supplier or stay with their default utility.
The ballot language asks whether commissioners should have authority to aggregate retail natural gas customers in unincorporated areas and enter service agreements to facilitate natural gas sales and purchases, with automatic enrollment unless customers opt out.
County officials urge unincorporated township residents to review the terms and ballot wording before voting. Details are available from the commissioners' office.