The Superior Community Coalition
What we know
The City of Superior’s website references a potential water utility takeover and a November referendum. At the same time, the mayor has stated that the City Council has not yet voted to place a referendum on the ballot.
Proposed city takeover of Superior’s water utility
Before Superior votes, residents deserve answers about the cost.
The City wants to take over Superior’s water utility. The final price will be set through a state regulatory process, meaning residents could be asked to vote before the actual cost is known.
An independent analysis helps estimate what that cost could be.
Independent estimate — Cost to take over Superior’s Water Utility
$186 Million
This is what a careful, independent analysis estimates the takeover could actually cost.
The estimate accounts for the the full cost of a takeover — the value of the utility system, the cost of acquiring it, transaction and legal fees, the price of standing up a brand-new city utility, and realistic interest rates and timelines.
A takeover is more than a price tag for pipes.
Buying and running a water utility is a complex undertaking, and the independent estimate reflects that reality. The independent estimate considers the full scope of a takeover, including acquisition costs, legal expenses, financing, utility operations, and other costs associated with creating a new city-owned utility.
Visit our Cost Page to learn more.
The system itself
The fair value of the utility's physical infrastructure, including pipes, treatment facilities, and equipment.
Launching a municipal utility
Startup costs to build the staffing, systems, and operations needed to run a city-owned utility.
Acquiring a working business
A water utility is more than just hardware. It’s an operating business with employees, systems, and expertise the City would have to buy and manage.
Transaction, legal & financing
The legal fees, borrowing costs, and other expenses that come with a purchase of this size.
What, exactly, is the City trying to do?
Right now, the City's website points to a possible takeover of the water utility and a possible vote in November.
But in a June 23 interview, the mayor said a vote could happen in November or April. He also said the City Council has not yet put anything on the ballot and did not clearly rule out a larger utility takeover.
That’s a lot to ask of residents who still don’t know what the City wants — or what it would cost them.
Residents still don’t have a clear answer.
If it’s just the water utility
$186M
Independent estimate of the takeover cost.
If it’s water, gas & electric
~$290M
Estimate based on an earlier analysis of acquiring all three utilities.
Three things residents should know
Cost. Risk. Time.
Cost
A debt larger than the City has ever taken on.
A takeover would be one of the largest financial commitments in Superior's history. Residents still don't know what it could mean for their water bills.
Risk
Important questions still need answers.
Who runs the utility on day one?
Where would the skilled workforce come from?
What happens to current employees and union contracts?
How would this affect funding for streets, parks, and public safety?
Time
This will take years.
Even if voters approve a takeover, the final purchase price would still need to be determined through a state regulatory process. Similar utility takeovers in other communities have taken years to resolve and have sometimes ended up in court.
In the news
Bill Fenessey on Morning Edition
Hear Bill Fennessy discuss the questions residents should have answered before any vote.
July
15
5:00 PM
Community info session
Have questions about the proposed water takeover?
Join the Superior Community Coalition at the Billings Park Civic Association. Bring your questions — we’ll bring the facts.
About the city’s study
Two studies. One system. Very different results.
The City’s consultant studied only what the physical water system is worth. It did not estimate the full cost of a utility takeover, including startup costs, legal expenses, transaction costs, and financing.
The total cost of a takeover includes much more than the value of the water system. The numbers below look only at the system itself. Even then, the City's study and an independent analysis reached very different conclusions.
What an independent firm says the water utility is worth:
Concentric Energy Advisors
$137 million
What the City’s study says the same system is worth:
City of Superior feasibility study
$58 million
The two studies put the value of the same water system more than $79 million apart. And neither estimate includes the full cost of a takeover.
Who we are
Neighbors asking questions on behalf of Superior.
The Superior Community Coalition brings together business, labor, and community leaders around one goal: a better, stronger Superior.
We came together in 2025 to help secure state law changes that allowed Superior to access federal funding for lead service line replacement. That effort helped bring $3.2 million in federal funding to our community.
We’re not a utility, and we’re not here to tell anyone how to vote. We’re here to make sure residents have the facts to decide for themselves.
A quick review of the facts
$150,000 study.
Assets only.
More questions remain.
A vote is required.
The City hired a consultant for $150,000 to study taking over the water utility.
The study looked at the value of the physical water system, not the full cost of a utility takeover.
Under Wisconsin law, the city cannot move forward without voter approval — and the City Council has not placed any question on the ballot.
Important questions, including the impact on water rates, have not yet been answered publicly.
Join Us!
Help us keep Superior informed and protect our community’s future.
Our coalition is open to anyone who wants to make a difference. As a member, you’ll help drive these critical efforts and advocate for sustainable solutions that benefit public health, economic growth, and our community’s future.