Walhalla delinquent bill payers get a break

David Underwood, chairman of the Walhalla utilities committee, is a happy individual this week. He nearly achieved the lowering of a non-payment fee to $25 dollars. In what’s seen as a compromise, the city council this week approved a $35 dollar fee to those water and sewer customers whose service is cut-off for failure to pay. Underwood’s colleague, Josh Roberts, backed off his earlier position that the fee should be lowered to no less than $45 dollars. The city’s charge of $75 dollars was seen as too high, especially compared to other nearby utility providers and amounted to a punitive penalty, especially to those customers who simply have trouble meeting their monthly bills.