OBSERVER Photo by Gregory Bacon Pictured are members of the Mayville Village Board. From left: Mayor Ken Shearer, Trustee Ben Webb, Trustee Jim Warner, and Trustee Rick Syper.

MAYVILLE — With Mayville having some of the cheapest electric rates in the country, but not an unlimited supply of electricity, village leaders are passing on an opportunity to install a car charger in the community.

During a meeting in July of the Mayville Village Board, officials decided against taking action to apply for a 2022 municipal zero emission vehicle grant. The program provides grants to cities, towns, villages, and counties to install hydrogen fuel filling station components and direct current fast charge electric vehicle supply equipment primarily for public use. The charging stations cost about $1,000 each and the village would have been responsible for 10% of the cost.

Mayor Ken Shearer said he was pitched the grant application to say that if they put a car charger in the village, drivers of electric cars may come to the community, park their vehicle to get charged and then shop or spend time in the area while it’s being charged.

But the mayor said he had his doubts.

“I’m really leery to say it’s going to draw any extra business or extra people to the village,” Shearer said.

Some studies say that by 2025, up to 25% of all vehicles could be electric. But Shearer said he isn’t ready to rush into it. “I’m not sure jumping on the first wave is the best,” he said.

He expressed concerns that if the charger breaks, the village will be responsible for repairs.

DPW Superintendent John Buxton said he’s worried that chargers will use up the electricity that residents rely on. Mayville gets its power at a discounted rate, but if they use up the allotted use then the electric rates jump up.

“My concern is we get power to our community at some of the cheapest power in the country and you’re going to give it away to somebody for nothing,” he said.

Buxton noted that if a village resident buys an electric car, that person can charge it at their residence. Those who use a public charger in downtown would most likely not be residents.

He’s also concerned that when school buses become electric, that, too, will lower the amount of available cheap electricity. “What is a nice little benefit we have here in the village of Mayville will be gone,” he said.

Electric Supervisor Matt Schumaker had similar concerns. “I can tell you the village of Westfield and the village of Mayville, everybody’s going over their purchase power. They’re using their allotment of power and we’re not getting anymore from the Power Authority,” he said, adding that once the allotment is used up, residents are paying open market rates for electricity.

Schumaker also said that Westfield has an older vehicle charging station that users must pay for but it’s rarely used. “In the two years it’s been down there … they’ve literally made $18,” he said.

Officials decided not to vote on the resolution that would have allowed them to seek the grant funds to pay for an electric charger. They said down the road they may try to get one, but said they’re not in a hurry to get one now.