City offers extension on utility payment deadline

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The city's payment deadline was the result of a request made by mayor pro tem Keith Burchett in January to try to help people on fixed income avoid late charges on their utility bills.

City offers extension on utility payment deadline

Posted by

Mark Beardsley

in Area Headline News

Wednesday, February 10. 2010

Comments (18)

Commerce residents whose cash flow makes it difficult to pay their utility bills on time could get a little relief under a new payment option.

City manager Clarence Bryant, following up on a request made in January by mayor pro tem Keith Burchett, explained that residents whose monthly checks arrive after the utility payment deadline each month can fill out an application for a five-day deadline extension.

To be eligible, the customer must live in the residence on which the waiver is sought.

Due to the complexity of the software system — none of the software company’s 60-odd other customers has such a policy — records for those utilizing the waiver will be kept manually, Bryant said.

The policy essentially gives those customers 20 days from receipt of their bills to pay instead of 15.

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#1 Anonymous on 02/10/10 at 12:05 PM [Reply]

Awesome job Burchett! That's the first time a councilman did something worth while to those who are in need!

#2 Babs on 02/10/10 at 12:56 PM [Reply]

How is this going to help someone on a fixed income?

#2.1 Anonymous on 02/11/10 at 12:44 PM [Reply]

Heck-even I can see how this will help out some of our elderly citizens on a fixed income.I have a good example-my aunt and uncle both draw social security checks.It used to be thst all Social Security checks were mailed to be received on the 3rd of each month-not any more.Now-they are received at different times of the month depending on your birthday.So my aunt and uncle receive their checks on the 17th or 18th of the month-their utility bill is past due after the 15th-and they pay the 10% penalty each month because their checks arrive a couple of days after the 15th.Now they can use this program to save the $10 to $20 per month in penalty and spend it on groceries or medicine.Doesn't really look like a discount to me-just helping some people that need some help.Good job.

#2.1.1 Anonymous on 02/11/10 at 03:44 PM [Reply]

How about a budget? Everyone deals with contraints. The local government shouldn't cover personal mismanagement.

#2.1.1.1 Anonymous on 02/16/10 at 02:04 PM [Reply]

Truly needing assistance due to emergencies or change in circumstances that were unexpected are not the same as mismanagement. I agree that abuse of community funding is an issue, but there are many citizens that truly are in dire need of assistance.

#3 what the ? on 02/10/10 at 05:07 PM [Reply]

Hey Keith Burchett this is city government not a charity! What about those of us that pay on time each month and have for years...do we get a discount ?
Burchett and Hill have no clue what there doing and just want to make folks happy.

#3.1 Anonymous on 02/11/10 at 05:26 PM [Reply]

if you actually read the article, you would know that the city isn't handing out hundred dollar bills to the people who apply. they just get 5 more days. that's not even a week. put down your pitchfork.
and making the people that voted for them happy is what they're supposed to do. if its in the best interest of the people and works within the government,then why shouldn't it be done?
but then again, what would people do if they couldn't sit around all day and talk about how they hate the government and everything it does?

#3.2 Anonymous on 02/11/10 at 06:22 PM [Reply]

It doesn't say anyone is getting a discount. They just get an extension before penalties are added. Of course they want to make people happy. That is part of their job. It seems like this will have no impact on you whatsoever, so why are your underpants all in a wad?

#4 well ummm ! on 02/11/10 at 04:00 PM [Reply]

thats a great thing to do but how about giving a senior discount on the utilities ?????

#5 well ummm ! on 02/11/10 at 04:42 PM [Reply]

our seniors are on a fixed income so the city should offer a discount to them they deserve it ! not only a free extention !

#5.1 Anonymous on 02/12/10 at 08:15 AM [Reply]

What exactly have they done to deserve it? Just avoiding death hardly qualifies.

#5.1.1 Anonymous on 02/12/10 at 09:47 AM [Reply]

The elderly usually can't work and live on a very fixed income. I expect that you wouldn't want anyone shaking your mother or father or grandparents down for money if they were sick and unable to work. And you don't want someone doing the same to you when you get old. We have to help those who have no means of helping themselves. Not saying that the elderly are helpless, but they're also certainly not lazy. We just have to take into consideration the fact that they live under different circumstances than us.

#5.1.2 new testament on 02/12/10 at 12:53 PM [Reply]

Heartless....Heartless....if the Lord allows you to live long enough you will be old one day...

you will reap what you sow...good and bad.

Keith Burchett will reap good from this...it is so nice to see local government helping the elderly when its not popular anymore.
I wish I lived in Commerce...I would be a proud citizen today!
God Bless you Keith...and I know he will!

#5.1.2.1 Joe Christmas on 02/13/10 at 07:26 AM [Reply]

Helping the elderly is always popular. Helping the rich while not all that popular, is more profitable since they pay to fund politician's campaigns. Helping the poor is the least popular as right wingers love to bash them proclaiming being poor is their own fault. Which is sometimes true and sometimes not.

#5.1.3 well ummm !! on 02/12/10 at 07:03 PM [Reply]

What exactly have they done to deserve it? How about all the sacrifices that they've made in their lives...fighting wars, sending their children off to war, working their butts off and paying into social security...only to receive barely enough to get by on in their golden years. They elderly that I am speaking of are the foundations of this town and many others like it. Keep talking and you'll certainly convince others that you don't deserve to live that long!

#6 Richard Dills on 02/13/10 at 04:46 PM [Reply]

The really dumb people that don't think we need to help the elderly have got to be the same one that are no help to our community! They have no respect for the people that helped us have the life we have today. Way to go Keith

#7 13 on 02/14/10 at 11:17 PM [Reply]

Good job Kieth !

#8 just curious on 02/16/10 at 01:42 PM [Reply]

Why not just extend the payment deadline 5 days for everyone? Seems like it would be simpler.

I always mail my check to the utility department on the last day of each month. Overwhelmingly, that's plenty of time, but occasionally the mail is a little slow.

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