OBETZ COUNCIL AND MAYOR DECLARE RESIDENTIAL UTILITY HOLIDAY FOR NOVEMBER 2020
Free water? The Obetz Council and Mayor have implemented a Holiday Utility Relief for November 2020 (payable on December 31st)
The Village of Obetz approved a payment holiday for all residential utility accounts for bills from the month of November that are due on December 31, 2020 (in other words, you don’t have to pay the November portion of the bill—past due accounts for other months must still be paid). If you have questions, please call the Utility Billing office at (614) 491-7804.
Based on the economic uncertainties associated with the spread of COVID-19, Obetz enacted this relief program to waive fees for payment of November’s water, sewer, and trash bills which are due on December 31st. The intent is to provide real and immediate relief and financial aid to our residents who have been harmed by the effects of this public health crisis.
What does this mean for my utility bill?
If you only owe for November, then you don’t need to do anything.
If you owe November and other past due months, you can deduct November’s bill from your balance due and pay the balance due. Please call the office if you need help calculating.
Do I have to repay this bill next month or later?
No.
I’m past due on my account. Will the payment holiday apply to my account as well?
Only the November bill has been waived. All other outstanding month’s bills remain due.
How is Obetz able to offer this waiver?
The fiscal impact of this bill waiver on all these various utility enterprise funds of the Village (Electric, Water, Sewer, and Refuse) in the aggregate is approximately $150,000.
Each of these funds have cash reserves as a matter of fiscal goals which is adopted for each of these funds. Those fiscal goals dictate how much we should carry in reserve in these funds to provide for enough operating cash to sustain these critical utility services. When we budget each year for the expenses of these utility enterprises, we look at our anticipated revenues and expenses (both operating and capital); and, determine how we fund those expenses while maintaining compliance with our fiscal goals for each fund. Some years, rates for one or more of these utilities are increased to meet these needs, and some years they are not.
What are the implications for rates? Will they go up later?
Rates will continue to rise as expenses continue to rise. However, we have no expectation of increasing rates in 2021. Rates for 2022 will be determined as part of our normal and customary evaluation of our revenues, expenses, and projected fund balances, and recommendations for adjustments will be made accordingly. This review MAY find one or more of these funds in a condition requiring a rate adjustment higher than what otherwise would have been needed because of this billing holiday. However, the order of magnitude we are talking about will be slight, and any recovery period would be over the course of one or more years.
What if I am on auto-pay? What happens?
There will be no deduction from your account on December 31st.
Who do I contact if I need more information or have a specific utility bill question? Contact the Utility Billing Office at (614) 491-7804 or via email at dcarpenter@obetz.oh.us.