THOMASVILLE — The City of Thomasville observed Public Power Week, National Public Natural Gas Week and National Customer Service Week from October 1-7.  

According to City Manager/Utilities Superintendent Steve Sykes, these commemorations are meant to celebrate the benefits of locally-owned utilities and the staff who provide them.

“We are proud to not only provide competitively-priced and reliable energy services to our customers, but also to deliver that service in a way that exceeds the expectations of our community,” said Sykes. “Fulfilling our mission is possible in part because of the knowledgeable and experienced staff that comprises Team Thomasville.”

Public Power Week recognized the importance of public power to the community, something that is especially important to Thomasville as it allows the community to operate without property taxes. Each year, more than 2,000 community-owned utilities, like City of Thomasville Utilities, observe Public Power Week, which celebrates the not-for-profit electric utilities that serve the electric power needs of about 40 million Americans, or almost 15 percent of electricity consumers. 

“This week  — and every week — we extend our heartfelt appreciation to the men and women who work to provide our community with safe, reliable electric service,” Sykes said.

Public Natural Gas Week is an annual nationwide event intended to build public awareness about the value of having a community-owned natural gas utility. There are approximately 1,000 public natural gas systems serving more than 5 million customers. These public natural gas utilities are not-for-profit retail distribution entities that are owned by and accountable to the citizens they serve. 

“The City of Thomasville thanks the dedicated members of our natural gas department who bring safe, reliable service to our community,” Sykes said.

National Customer Service Week was established by the International Customer Service Association in 1984 and proclaimed a national event by the U.S. Congress in 1992. National Customer Service Week celebrates the men and women who provide exceptional customer service each day to the residents of Thomasville. 

“The City of Thomasville salutes those who work directly with our customers and who are truly the faces of our organization,” Sykes said.

More information about utility services, including online customer service tools, is available at Thomasville.org.