Somerset Mayor Reacts To Critics Of Public Gas Sales

This was the first full week one can buy gas from the city of somerset. To help with what officials call price fixing and high fuel cost, the city’s fuel station recently went public. But, there has been some criticism. 

Monday some drivers thanked worked and one man even pulled up from Bowling Green, but not everyone was on board with the city’s latest venture.

City officials said on Thursday and Friday, some local politicians and distributors went to Frankfort to try and stop the city’s plans to sell gas, stating the city was interfering with business. 

This, coupled with software changes at the station, left somerset to have a soft opening Thursday and Friday.

Saturday was the grand opening, where they serviced 360 vehicles.

Owners, workers and managers of local gas stations opinions varied from being unhappy to not minding as long as the price was within a few cents.

However, some took a harder stance and said it was the government cutting into free enterprise.

The mayor said, it’s no different than what they’ve been doing.

"My response is, we’ve been in the natural gas business for 50 years. We’ve been selling natural gas for vehicles for more than two years.  No problem.  On one hand it’s alright to sell to sell natural gas for vehicles for the public but not necessarily gasoline?  Because we realize there is big money involved and big business," said Eddie Girler, Mayor of Somerset. 

He explained that the goal of government, in his opinion, is to protect the people.

So far the city’s fuel station has served around 1,000 vehicles. 

All the gas is coming from the Continental Refining Company out of Kentucky.