BAY COUNTY Fla. (WMBB) — The City of Springfield has been lenient with residents who need to pay their water and utility bills since January.
They have not expected residences to pay late fees, or even pay their bills in full. That was until Thursday.
Over the past few months, Springfield City Hall employees have been calling residents who have water bills exceeding a thousand dollars, asking if they needed to go onto a payment plan.
Those who did not answer, or want to proceed with a plan, may have gotten their water shut off.
Teresa Cox the Springfield City Clerk said it is necessary for residents to start paying, and they have referred people to different resources to assist them.
“Difficult time for everyone, not just for the citizens of Springfield,” said Cox. “I know that it is difficult, unfortunately, it is just like any other business, we have to be able to bring income in, and you have to be able to manage the money that you have. Be it, you know, the bills are going to come due, and we tried to caution people.”
Springfield is not the only city that will begin to cut off residents utilities if they go unpaid, Lynn Haven and Panama City have both said they will start to do the same on October 1.
