Citizens Demand More Reasonable Payment Regulations

The Utilities Board of Tuskegee has a deadline to make payments on ones bill of the 15th of each month. In the event the 15th falls on the weekend, the payments are due on the next business day. If not paid by that date, the payments are deemed late and will incur a 10% late fee. If the bills are not paid by the 20th of the month they are deemed delinquent and subject to disconnect. This payment schematic is random and arbitrary and does not allow sufficient time for citizens to work toward keeping their utilities active. Citizens are typically paid on a biweekly basis or on the 1st and 15th. Therefore, this arbitrary payment regulation does not allow even for another pay period to come around to assist in making the payment. This policy results in high fees and detrimental treatment to the citizens at large. Citizens do have the option of entering into a payment plan, however, the fee for the payment plan only results in a higher amount owed to the Utilities Board.

We the citizens demand the following:

1. That the late fee be decreased from 10% to 5%;
2. That the time for which citizens are subject to disconnect be increased from the 20th of the month the last day of the month; and
3. The fee to enter into a payment arrangement be decreased.