By Tom Tolen/News@whmi.com


The City of Brighton is giving a break to those who are late in paying their utility bills this year as a result of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy.

Due to the high unemployment rate and the lackluster business at stores forced to close, limiting the number of customers allowed in the store at any given time or to rely solely on carry-out customers, the city has decided not to charge a delinquency penalty to customers who are late in paying their sewer or water bills. The penalty break includes bills that just went out and are due on Monday (April 20th), but not the utility payments that were due in February. Also to have no late fee assessed are the utility bills due on June 20th and August 20th, when customers will not be charged a penalty for a late payment. The normal policy of charging a late payment fee will return for the October bills and afterward.

City Finance Director Gretchen Gomolka said the net effect amounts to the city doing its part to help in the current medical and economic crisis. Council Member Jim Bohn asked if there were any income or employment criteria in order to be eligible for the program and whether the estimated financial loss to the city had been calculated. Gomolka replied that the city had a fund balance of about $2.5 million at the end of the fiscal year last June, and therefore could absorb the modest income loss with no problem. She also said that since city hall is currently understaffed, it would be too time-consuming to go through an application procedure that included verification of employment, income and other information. Gomolka also stated that the majority of questions lately regarding penalties for late payment of fees have come not from residents, but from businesses. Council passed the motion on a unanimous, 7-0 vote.