DeKalb CEO To Give Update On Water Billing Crisis

DECATUR, GA —DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond will give a public update on the water billing crisis on May 23, the county announced recently. DeKalb's water woes have plagued the past two CEO administrations as residents inexplicably experienced enormous surges in their monthly bills and some had their gauges cut off.

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.

In a letter to county water and sewer customers last month, 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."

Former CEO Burrell Ellis and interim chief executive Lee May both grappled with how to resolve the water issues, which were at their height.
One of the final acts of Ellis' tenure was to facilitate the formation of a water and sewer billing advisory committee.

The May 23 meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Rehoboth Baptist Church, 2997 Lawrenceville Highway in Tucker. The meeting will be aired live on Comcast Cable Channel 23 in DeKalb and live-streamed on the county's website.

Image via DeKalb County