"YOU JUST KEEP ME HANGING ON" supremes
During the last couple of months city resident and perpetual office seeker John Murphy has brought up numerous times to council a policy to extend the time to pay your city utility bill.
Presently it is 15 days John has asked council to review this policy.
Now I do expect to hear that this done to keep your Painesville utilities the lowest in the area. There not.
John's claim that due to the schedule of Government checks such as Social Security as well as the zone your utilities are recorded in there are times when your check doesn't come soon enough to avoid a late fee charge.
I looked at the figures John has compiled and an additional 10 days added would solve the problem.
Money's tight and anything the city could do to help some of these people out might be viewed as a God send.
I don't want to hear about First Energy or Lake County utilities policies. I am only interested in Painesville City policies.
The other thing about Painesville's utility bill it includes electric, water, sewer, storm sewer along with the $8.00 water surcharge ALL that will be subject to a late fee.
With all the money the city seems to have to throw around could we save a few bucks for some residents?
The reason I bring this up at Mondays council meeting under New Business Ordinance 925.17 Utility charges. I'm hope this issue will be discussed.
posted by terminator1 @ 10:06 AM
6 Comments
6 Comments:
The city bundles the four different utilities. I moved to Painesville afew years ago and it was a change from the system I had been used to.
I see no reason not to grant the residents 10 more days. What reason would the city object?
I don't want it misconstrued that I don' think the citizens should get every break they can get...after all the city exists for the citizens.
But is it possibe that some people don't get their Social Security checks until after the eleventh, or so, of the month? I'm not saying that that doesn't happen -- I am asking the question, because I was not aware of this if it does happen.
Also, wasn't it Murphy that fought for, and succeeded, in getting the late penalties increased on our utility bills?
Social Security checks (deposits) go out to people throughout the month.
I don't recall Murphy's involvment in Late penalties?
Well, apparently this is one of those points on which you and I do not agree.
Every person I know has to budget for operating expenses. This is true regardless of when they get paid for their labor.
The job I most recently had paid me just after the first of the month. This was after the date that my utility payment was due. What did I do? I could either set the money aside and pay the bill when it came or I could pay it late. MY choice.
That is not the fault of the City. Is merely my knowing what needed to be done.
I fail to see how it is any different for anyone else regardless of when they get a check or where the check comes from.
Additionally, although it might not be PC, some people will ALWAYS be late with paying bills.
Give them 10 more days and the payment will still be late. Just human nature.
Jim, we can disagree but what harm would it do? The person that comment was that 4 bills get bundled at the same time has it right.
Yes you would be surprised how many of our residents live from check to check.
If they still are late well we did the most as a city government can do to help them out.
The idea is to make some that might fall into this position a chance to save a buck.
I guess that is kind of my thought. It wouldn't do any harm (see, we can agree) but I don't think it would do any good either.
I fully understand that many folks live check to check but, to me, government is to help us do what we can not do for ourselves.
IMO, this does not apply. All of us can budget our money if we want to.
Does anyone think that their other utility companies would do this? If you don't pay for your gas, phone, TV, or whatever by the cut off date, you are billed extra or you lose your service.
Maybe to make sure you don't lose electric, water, or sewer they should eliminate the smart phone or cable TV (and related monthly bill). That would free up a lot of monthly funds.
Sorry but I just don't agree with moving things like this. I don't feel it would accomplish anything.
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