Upland council authorizes placing delinquent utility and refuse charges on county tax roll after public hearing

The Upland City Council voted unanimously Monday to authorize placing delinquent water, sewer and refuse service charges on the San Bernardino County property tax roll, after staff detailed the city’s expanded lien process and several residents urged more time or payment arrangements.

The actions covered two related items: a staff report on delinquent water, sewer and refuse accounts and a separate report on delinquent refuse accounts billed by contractor BERTEC Waste Industries. Assistant City Manager Steven Parker introduced both items and Finance Manager Stacy Sullivan led the utility presentation.

“The item before you today is the collection of delinquent water, sewer, and refuse charges, for the county tax roll,” Sullivan told the council as she outlined the ordinance changes staff has been enforcing since the council adopted Ordinance 19-83 in November 2023. Sullivan said the ordinance requires utility accounts be in the property owner’s name, effective Jan. 1, 2024, and staff expanded the lien process this year to include open single-family, multifamily and commercial accounts with no minimum balance.

Why it matters: placing unpaid utility and refuse charges on the county tax roll converts past-due balances into a property assessment that typically carries additional county fees and can be collected with annual property taxes. Staff said the change is intended to improve collection rates for longstanding delinquencies and to hold property owners accountable for tenant balances when accounts are not converted to owners’ names.

Key figures and process details

- For the water/sewer/refuse item (item 11A) staff said the current list…