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HAMILTON — Hamilton Mayor Don Ryan appealed to Butler County commissioners in a Thursday, July 3, letter to save county water customers money by having the city take over the county's water system.

Ryan's letter was in response to reports in the JournalNews of merger discussions between the county and Greater Cincinnati Water Works, with county leaders complaining that Hamilton's water rates are too high and threatening to take its business south.

While county leaders demand lowered water rates — which city leaders argue would lead to raised rates for its customers — Ryan said a combined system would save both systems' customers money.

"It's easy to say 'just lower the markup or lower the rate,' but that fails to recognize the current costs of producing and delivering water," Ryan said, urging, "regionalization ... not regionalization by hitching Butler County's wagon to Cincinnati's star, but regionalization of and within our own county."

Ryan offers to urge the city to pay for half of a study of his proposal.

County Commission President Charles Furmon said he's open to the suggestion. "I'd be happy to explore anything that's a positive for the customers and for the future of the county," he said.

Commissioner Gregory Jolivette said he was "cautiously optimistic" and wanted to see what safeguards a city-run system would have for county customers.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2175 jsweigart@coxohio.com.