Water Department starting new billing policy
It’s pay-up time for water bills or face having your service shut off.
By Charles Sercombe
Starting this month, city water bills will be going out once a month.
The first monthly bills should be mailed to each household by the end of March.
Emergency Manager Cathy Square said there was a combination of reasons to switch billing from every three months to monthly: cut down on the number of delinquent bills, make it less of a financial hit to households and create more cash flow for the city.
Hamtramck has had a serious problem with households falling way behind in paying water bills. As it stands now, there is $400,000 owed to the city that is over 60 days due.
The city is also cracking down on people who have been allowed to pay back delinquent water bills on a payment plan. Square said most of those on a payment plan have failed to live up to their agreement.
As a result, the city is moving aggressively to shut off water service. Those who received a water shut-off notice recently have until March 14 to pay up.
Square said that while there is no written policy on hardship cases, in the past the water department has allowed for special payment options. Square said she is reviewing what’s been done in the past and will be drawing up a written policy for consistency.
This isn’t the first time the city has cracked down on deadbeats. Last July, Square announced immediate water shut-offs to a number of households who were hundreds and thousands of dollars behind in payments.
The city’s action spurred a rush to city hall, where homeowners lined up to pay late bills to avoid a shut-off, or in many instances to turn their service back on.
4 Responses to Water Department starting new billing policy
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Jenny Nolastname
March 10, 2014 at 12:59 pm
I disagree with your changing the billing ONLY IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE ADDING AN “ADMINISTRATIVE FEE” TO MY ALREADY TOO HIGH WATER BILL, since you’ll now have to have someone do the billing every month! I notice you didn’t mention anything about that in your message.
Also, “The first monthly bills should be mailed to each household by the end of March.” (plural “bills”) So we will get three separate bills for Jan-Feb-Mar 2014 – I bet with the same “DUE DATE” right? So to crack down on the deadbeats and delinquents we all HAVE NO CHOICE but to change. If the water department had been cracking down LONG BEFORE folks became THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS PAST DUE maybe our city wouldn’t be in this financial mess!
hamtramck freedom
September 23, 2014 at 5:00 pm
“deadbeats”… actually the city of Hamtramck is corrupt, even with its new gov Snyder minions running the ship. My house came with a delinquent 500.oo the bank was supposed to pay and never did.. my water bill has been behind ever since.. And hey there has been a broken water main every day since last fall… They blocked off my street again today to fix the same main they have been fixing since winter. Also my water-meter exploded last winter, its the city water meter, i have not had a working water service since January but still get charged these bullshat fees now that are coming every month???? Hamtramck city always points the finger at its citizens and always shames its citizens. YOU HAMTRAMCK THE CITY OF CORRUPTION will be JUDGED and FINED!!!!!!!!
mark
March 4, 2015 at 5:17 pm
HAMTRAMCK IS THEFT,MAKING WATER BILLS ESTIMATED.SOON THEY GET SHORT ON MONEY THEY CAME ALLWAYZ WHIT SOME IDEA TO STILL.YOU GO TO CKMPLAIN THEY SAY EVRYTHING IS FINE.MY NEIGHBOR WENT OVERSEAS HE WAS GETTING BILL LIKE HE USED WATER.HE WAS NOT EVEN HEAR
kelvin Lyons
January 5, 2020 at 2:39 am
You need to treat the water like DTE treat the electric you no pay you no have water it’s that simple.