ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — St. Petersburg metropolis leaders are set to vote on potential options to unusually excessive water payments, on Thursday.
Residents have voiced their frustrations over the payments for months, saying they’ve been coping with this for half a yr.
St. Petersburg residents are hoping the assembly will convey them some solutions and aid to the payments they mentioned maintain piling up.
Legal professional, and resident, Matthew Weidner mentioned for a lot of, town shouldn’t be refunding the cash however crediting it to accounts as a substitute.
“Persons are not properly and it is a punch to the intestine. It is a sucker punch that town is delivering to the residents that may’t take it,” Matthew Weidner mentioned.
The council will vote on resolutions associated to invoice assortment insurance policies, utility invoice aid, and an ordinance that might amend water expenses for leaks.
Some residents really feel just like the resolutions will not be sufficient and so they need to know why this occurred, and the way will probably be mounted.
“Within the resolutions right here, you see no admission that there’s a drawback internally with town, whether or not it is workers or computer systems, or the meters themselves,” Weidner mentioned.
In response to town, proper now, round 51% of people that utilized for utility aid have obtained changes to their payments.
Weidner mentioned that the credit to their accounts are leaving many with out the money they want for different important bills.
“I am having folks, pals, colleagues, coming as much as me and sharing disturbing tales about these outrageously excessive payments which might be stopping them from placing meals on the desk for youngsters, their very own kids as a result of a few of these payments are being taken out routinely,” Weidner mentioned.
Weidner mentioned he’ll go to metropolis council conferences each single time till there are solutions.
“I am demanding that metropolis council, for as soon as, totally embrace their oversight function and ask onerous questions. All of them took an oath to characterize residents, to take a seat up on that dais, and defend residents. They are not doing that proper now,” Weidner mentioned.
8 On Your Aspect reached out to town on Wednesday to attempt to get solutions forward of the assembly.
As of Thursday morning, we have now not gotten a response to our request.
The assembly shall be held at 1:30 p.m. at Metropolis Corridor.
