Posted by TheDude (Michael Wells) on October 2, 2008 at 6:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Thank you Randall! I bought gas in Alabaster last week and saved money even with the extra miles it took to purchase the gas. Sumpm's up ... I think an e-mail to Mr. Troy King is in order.

Posted by albden (anonymous) on October 2, 2008 at 6:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)

We too have noticed a difference in gas prices. Several weeks ago, we were in the Mobile area. Their gas was 3.40 per gallon. What's up with that?

Posted by steve42 (anonymous) on October 2, 2008 at 9:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The answer is simple, but not necessarily easy. If you don't like paying more for fuel in Chilton County, then simply don't fuel up in Chilton County.

Don't get me wrong. I am a supporter of the "Shop Chilton County First" program, but not when the local vendors are so drastically out of line with the surrounding communities.

The information I received several years ago from a station owner in Millbrook is this: the rack rate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suggested_r...) for cost per gallon is set by the oilmen (who all belong to the Alabama Oilmen's Association) using ZIP codes as area boundaries. They notify the station owners of the current price, and then the station owners are free to set their pump prices. Most tack on a couple of cents per gallon for themselves.

They can even choose to sell for slightly below the rack rate, but if they drop too far below, they wind up in court because the oilmen managed to get a state law passed that outlaws selling too far below the rack rate, calling it unfair competition. That;'s why Murphy OIl/Wal-Mart had change their 3 cents per gallon discount program a few years ago; they were taken to court and lost.

If the prices in the county are too high, it's because the rack rate is set artificially high. If you will recall, the last time the county's fuel prices were inflated, there were a slew of letters to the editor written and the prices dropped to within pennies of the surrounding counties within a week and stayed that way for several months.

In short, the station owners don't have much control of it, but if you stop buying fuel here, it will send a message to the Oilmen’s Association that they’ve hit the limits, and the prices will drop again.

Please don’t buy into the “distribution costs” arguments. That cheaper fuel is driving through our county on its way to the cheaper stations.

Not buying here for a little while will get the message across. Unfortunately, for the large number of vehicles that hardly ever leave the county, that’s not an option.

Posted by kwsrgraves (anonymous) on October 2, 2008 at 1:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I was home for labor day weekend. Gasoline prices differed 40 cents between here, Las Vegas and home. As of today there is a 60 cents difference. Gas has always been more expensive there at home in Clanton. While it spiked there during recent storms, it steadily dropped here. Today it is $3.28 per gallon for reg. and $2.59 for E-85. Guess it's who can afford it there. Although here is a different distribution system.

Posted by getbizi (anonymous) on October 2, 2008 at 3:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I always fill up whenever I go to Prattville. I no longer give Clanton my gasoline business. They will continue to lose my business until they fall back in line.

Posted by November162000 (anonymous) on October 3, 2008 at 4:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I am steadfastly in favor of the free enterprise system but if there is any form of price fixing going on then that's not 'free enterprise' and needs to be addressed. It does appear as though the fuel in our area is artificially high. I travelled to Louisiana and back this week and saw a price variation by as much as 52 cents per gallon for reg. unleaded. Not quite as much variation for diesel fuel.