Fairfax Gives Late Payers A Water Break

Selectboard decides against penalty fees

By RICK BURNHAM, Messenger Staff Writer

FAIRFAX - Fairfax Selectboard members voted Monday against assessing late fees and penalties for town residents who fail to pay water and sewer bills on time.

The 3-2 vote followed a half-hour of deliberation between the five members, including discussion about just how many people are delinquent on their accounts, and whether the resulting revenue from the fees would be worth the bother.

Fourteen accounts currently have overdue amounts for both water and sewer, while another 18 are late for one of the two, but not both.

Judy Cleary. selectboard member, argued for the late payment penalties.

“Any place else that you are late paying a bill, you have to pay these," she said. "As long as it is in our ordinance, we should do it, I think."

"It is not only our ordinance, it is part of our statutes," added board chair Bill Ormerod.

Ormerod said he did not expect any late fees to become a "cash cow" for the town.

"I don't know that the penalties and the interest are going to generate a whole lot of revenue," he said.

"My hope is that they will be incentive to facilitate on-time payment."

Selectman Jeff Blake said any system of assessing and charging late fees could easily evolve into more hassle than it is worth.

"I don't want to get into a position where we are sending notices and charging interest... where we are going to argue over $3.82 worth of penalty fees," he said. "I would rather just turn the wrench and be done with it and not worry about it."

Charlie Swanson, also a selectman, agreed, pointing out that since the town discontinues water and sewer service when bills are not paid after a month, the amount of any fees would not be substantial.

"We are not gaining anything in that 30-day period." he said. "If the disconnection notice was sent out farther, then I would say pass. But since it is only 30 days, this is more of a headache than anything else. It is not necessarily going to change any attitudes."

Ormerod and Cleary voted in favor of assessing late fees and penalties, while Blake, Swanson and Randy Devine voted against it.