We applaud Public Service Commissioner Cecil Brown for taking the time Thursday to come speak to citizens in Vicksburg about his office and what they do.

The office, which seems to be shrouded in mystery, exists to serve the public — if they know how to use it.

The Public Service Commission, Brown explained, exists chiefly to regulate utility companies and assist citizens in dealing with these companies that are largely monopolies.

If an energy or gas company decides it wants to raise its rates, it must first get that approved by Brown’s office.

If a customer has issues with one of these companies, that can also be taken up with the Public Service Commission.

“Most of the time if you have a problem with your electric service, say it’s Entergy, and you call and you just can’t get it worked out,” Brown said. “Your power’s not on and they say it’s going to be on, you can call us. We have consumer service specialists who handle situations like that.”

In addition, the Public Service Commission is in charge of keeping up with the statewide No Call List, which Brown said he hopes will soon be extended to mobile phones.

We strongly support this initiative, and we encourage those in the legislature to take steps necessary to get this bill turned into a law.

There is often nothing worse than getting an unwanted call trying to solicit your time, money or personal information.

The Public Service Commission deals with tens of thousands of complaints from groups not adhering to the No Call List, which is a massive undertaking. We thank them for the work they are doing to protect the time and privacy of Mississippi citizens.

We think Brown’s office is providing a great service to Mississippians and we commend his efforts to get the word out about how people can take advantage of the services offered by the Public Service Commission.

This is a great reminder that public officials are there to serve those who put them in office, the public. Transparency and availability go a long way in serving constituents.