Controller keeps after city workers who owe
City Controller Alan Butkovitz, who has been going after city employees who owe back taxes and utility payments with gusto, is now calling on the city to shut off water service to 723 city employees who owe $705,973 in unpaid water bills. He first brought the issue of late-water bill payments by city workers to light in early June. Full press release follows below:
Butkovitz Urges City to Comply with Water Shut-Off Policy
Controller targets more than $700,000 owed by city employees for water service
PHILADELPHIA - As part of an on-going effort to collect outstanding delinquencies for city services and back taxes, Controller Alan Butkovitz today urged the City to comply with its water shut-off policy for 723 delinquent city employees owing $705,973.
According to the Water Revenue Bureau, customers are delinquent if they are two months behind and have an outstanding balance of $75 or more. Eighty percent of all current, delinquent accounts are six months and older. According to a recent audit of the City's new water billing system, delinquent water and sewer customers owe a total outstanding balance of $167 million.
In a letter to the Revenue Commissioner, Butkovitz stated, "Allowing city employees to get away with not paying for water service is inappropriate and sends the wrong message."
"City employees should be held to a higher standard and should set a good example to the citizens they serve by paying their water bills on time," said Butkovitz.
"Ideally, three notices are sent to delinquent customers before their water is actually shut off. If the City is following its own procedures, 723 city employees should have already been notified about their past due accounts.
"The City is not in a position to provide free water services. All residents, especially city employees, should pay their water bills."
"Water rates have increased by 41 percent over the last eight years due in part because of the high rate of delinquent customers who are not made to pay their water bills. It is patently unfair that good-paying customers are forced to pay higher water rates to make up for the shortfalls resulting from those who don't pay and don't have their water shut off."
Controller Butkovitz recently released an audit of the City's new water billing software and criticized the failed system. The City has spent $50 million on five different water billing systems.
To review other initiatives by the Controller to collect delinquencies for services and taxes, visit www.philadelphiacontroller.org.
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