Council approves Brookshire Municipal Water District to collect trash fees; billing switch, fees and delinquency discussed
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Summary
The council authorized the Brookshire Municipal Water District to collect trash service fees and discussed switching trash billing onto the water bill, a $1.50 administrative charge per bill, and more than $80,000 in delinquent trash accounts.
The Brookshire City Council voted May 14 to approve an arrangement for the Brookshire Municipal Water District to collect trash service fees on the city’s behalf and signaled intent to move trash billing onto the water bill.
Council members raised operational and financial concerns before the vote. Council discussion noted the city has more than $80,000 in delinquent trash accounts across roughly 300 accounts and identified instances in which billing went to vacant lots because of the prior billing setup. The council said moving trash charges onto the water district bill will allow collection tied to water service and is the more efficient mechanism used by many cities.
Council members said the change will add an administrative charge of $1.50 per bill plus applicable sales tax, and they discussed the need to notify customers before the switch. The city staff stated vendor rules require a notice period; council discussed a 60‑day notice as typical. Council members also noted the city's current billing vendor, recorded in materials as FundView. Contractual details remain to be confirmed: council asked staff to check whether there would be a penalty or cancellation fee to alter existing vendor arrangements and to confirm the financial impact and an exact start date before implementation.
The motion to approve the contract with the Brookshire Municipal Water District for trash collection passed by voice vote. Council directed staff to finalize logistics, ensure appropriate customer notice, and report back on penalties or other costs tied to changing billing arrangements.
