Wendell commissioners made the right decision last week not to give up water capacity to the city of Raleigh as they try to dig out from a mountain of debt.

Though commissioners didn’t take that option off the table, they were appropriately hesitant to give up a resource that will cost a great deal more later — if they can get it at all.

Commissioners did choose to delay several capital projects and they also voted to increase water rates to Wendell customers in an effort to stop the bleeding that has resulted from slower-than-projected growth and increased conservation in the wake of the 2007 drought.

Town Manager David Bone recommended the town take several steps in an effort to avoid a potential surcharge Raleigh officials could levy in 2011.

Relinquishing some of the water capacity promised to the town in the 2006 merger with Raleigh was one of those reccomendations.

Currently Wendell is obligated to pay the city of Raleigh for the promise of water availability so that, if new homes or businesses are built, there will be enough water to serve it.

The terms of the merger limit the town’s growth outside the capacity limits agreed to by Wendell and Raleigh.

That gives Raleigh an incredibly huge say-so when it comes to how and when the town of Wendell can grow.

Losing that control over the town’s future is, without a doubt, the single largest problem with any merger agreement the town of Wendell could have negotiated.

But it’s part of the language now and complaining about it will do no good.

But giving up the water already promised by Raleigh would set the town back even further.

Kenny Waldroup, with the city of Raleigh’s public utilities department, told town commissioners last week that the town staff would recommend that the city not sell additional water to the towns it serves.

That means if Wendell — or Zebulon or Knightdale for that matter — gives back water it has been promised, but isn’t using, the likelihood it could be purchased later is slim.

And even if it could, Raleigh’s municipal customers would never get as good a deal as they are getting today.

The town currently pays $3.80 for 1,000 gallons of water.

If the town bought it at today’s rate, it would likely pay about $6.50 for the same amount of water.

Holding off on any decisions to give the water back makes good business sense.

And here’s another idea that makes good sense, courtesy of Commissioner Sid Baynes.

He suggested that town officials begin talking now with Raleigh city commissioners.

They are the ones who will decide whether to enforce language in the merger agreement, including whether to levy a surcharge in 2011.

Most of the town’s conversations thus far have been with Waldroup, who readily admits that, as staff members, they would only be able to make recommendations to the city council.

Wendell leaders took several important steps to stave off a surcharge in two years time.

Now is the time to start a conversation with the Raleigh decision-makers with an eye toward doing what is best for the customer.

— Johnny Whitfield