Residents of Flint, Michigan who had gone six or more months without paying their water bill received notices to pay their past due balance by May 19, but two days before payments were due Flint city council voted to end the policy.
Resident of the city still don’t have clean water. It’s been almost three years and insult was added to injury at the beginning of May when over 8,000 residents were threatened with liens on their homes due to unpaid water bills.
After receiving numerous calls pleading to stop the notices, the council passed a resolution a resolution that puts a year long moratorium on properties with unpaid water bills with delinquent balances dating back to April 2014.
Council president Kerry Nelson says the city attorney and chief financial officer oppose the moratorium because the city needs the revenue, according to Michigan Radio.
Council members acknowledged that Flint residents already struggled to pay their water bills, with the city reportedly having the highest rates in the country for this quality of water.
“It’s time out for that,” Nelson told Michigan Radio. “The people of this city are suffering. They’re troubled, they’re at their wits’ end.”
