WARREN — Hubbard Township Trustee Jason Tedrow accused the Trumbull County Commissioners of blaming township officials for it not currently being a part of a new county aggregation program and that could eventually force residents to pay additional costs for their natural gas.

Tedrow said township officials never took a vote seeking its removal from the county’s aggregation program, so the township should still be a part of the latest county program.

Earlier this year, Trumbull voted to join Palmer Energy to be its gas aggregation program. The county was represented by Buckeye Energy before it decided to join Palmer.

According to Commissioner Denny Malloy, Hubbard Township, along with several other Trumbull communities, were looking to join Buckeye Energy as its gas aggregation company after Trumbull voted to join Palmer Energy’s program.

However, Tedrow, during Wednesday’s commissioner meeting, said there was never an official action or vote taken by Hubbard Trustees to exit the county’s program.

Malloy described the county on Jan. 6 receiving an email from Tom Bellish, CEO of Buckeye Energy, that stated Hubbard as one of the five townships signing or pursuing a natural gas program with his company, asking the county not to contract for natural gas for those communities.

Tedrow said they never discussed alternative options until Bellish’s presentation at a Jan. 13 regular meeting, adding that they weren’t even pursuing anything, but only gathering information and exploring options.

“The email states on the top of it that these communities are either signed on or are pursuing,” Tedrow said. “Pursuing, immediately states, that he has no legal authority to speak on anyone’s behalf.”

Malloy described Bellish as representing them, and, until May 1, still represents the township as its aggregation provider.

“As of today, he is still your broker,” he said. “I had three conversations with Trustee [Monica] Baker, where she said the guys want to stick with Buckeye.”

Tedrow repeated that Bellish had no authority to speak on the township’s behalf or to say they were opting out of a future program.

“We called three times to verify it,” Malloy said. “We are working today, for the people of Hubbard [Township], to get them added onto the aggregation.”

Tedrow responded they never should have been removed from the county’s new aggregation program.

Commissioner Tony Bernard agreed the commissioners are working to correct the situation.