CEO Thurmond to Update DeKalb Residents On Water Billing Crisis

DECATUR, GA -- Keeping his promise to make the water billing crisis his No. 1 priority, DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond will again update the public about the progress made, the county announced Thursday. Thurmond will hold a meeting on Thursday, June 29, at 6:30 p.m., at the Maloof Auditorium in Decatur.

Residents will have a chance to query Thurmond through a question-and- answer period during the update, the county said.

Water bill representatives will be on hand before the meeting to help DeKalb residents with general questions about their bills or to handle any billing disputes, the county said. The reps will also be able to verify whether customers's bills are in "dispute process" or if their bills are still being held for evaluation.

The reps will not be able to access the billing system or give specific account information though, the county said.

When he took office in January, Thurmond vowed to get to the bottom of the crisis -- and he has kept his word, periodically addressing county residents on how his administration plans to fix the issues. He last appraised residents of the water billing situation in May.

Read more: Water bill crisis a top priority, DeKalb CEO says

In a letter to county water and sewer customers in April, Thurmond apologized for the billing issues and laid out a plan on how DeKalb can move forward. In the letter, he said: "Please be advised that 'held' bills will not be mailed until the root causes of billing inaccuracies have been identified and corrected. Customers whose bills have been “held” will not be penalized. When 'held' bills are released, charges will be based upon the appropriate tiered rate schedule. Upon request, extended payment terms with no late fees will be available for the “held” bills only."

Residents can submit questions for the Q&A on the It’s in DeKalb’s Facebook page or Twitter account, @ItsInDeKalb. The meeting will be streamed live at www.dekalbcountyga.gov/dctv as well as on the It’s In DeKalb’s Facebook page. Also, it will be broadcast on Comcast Cable Channel 23 for residents living in DeKalb.

Image via DeKalb government