In what may turn out to be a $410 million question in the City of Chester’s historic bankruptcy, the state Supreme Court heard arguments over who owns the Chester Water Authority (CWA) and who has the right to sell it. State law clearly gives the city control over the assets, said Chester attorney Matthew White. Noting that only a minority of its customers are in Chester, the water authority in effect is the province of “multiple jurisdictions,” countered CWA attorney Kevin Kent. The authority wants the court to overturn a 2021 Commonwealth Court ruling that Chester was the sole owner of the authority and thus could entertain suitors. That decision came after Aqua Pennsylvania offered to buy the authority for $410 million, representing about six times the city’s annual budget. After listening to the arguments from attorneys, including those representing Delaware and Chester counties and Aqua, the state high court said it would take the case under advisement. The city has been in bankruptcy since November 2022, and a sale of the water assets would mean avoiding drastic cuts in services and retirement benefits. Read the full story in the Inquirer.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 5/14/2025