Resident raises equity concerns over Waco's utility-tagging program; staff says tags reduce disconnections

Carl Giles told the Waco City Council at its Dec. 2 work session that low-income neighborhoods shoulder much of the revenue from the city's utility "tagging" program yet do not always see corresponding services such as street repairs or tree trimming. "If low-income people are providing the most money for that tag system, then we should receive [a] fair amount of services," Giles said, asking the council to ensure the program is equitable.

Staff presented Informal Report 2025859 in response. Lisa Tire, director of customer engagement, described the tag as a physical reminder placed on doors that staff photograph to document notification. "When we physically place that tag on your door ... you've got something," Tire said. She said the city runs account checks before tags are issued and that most people come in the next day to pay. Tire gave the program-level figures she was reporting to council: the city "tags roughly annually a little less than 5% of all our accounts" and "disconnect[s]" far fewer. In the transcript she first said the disconnect figure as "0.07" and later restated it as "0.7," and staff characterized the disconnect rate as "less than 1%." The city also reported that 66% of accounts do not pay on the bill due date, though not all are tagged.

Council members asked whether the city could soften the financial impact on residents, for example by waiving the tag fee if a resident pays within 48 hours. Tire said there is a cost to issuing tags (she estimated a tag-related cost in the range of $18 to $22 when accounting for staff time and materials) but that the city could examine options. Council members also raised extending the number of days between tagging and service disconnection so residents have more time to respond; staff said they could look at whether the system could be adjusted to lengthen that interval (even by a few days).

Tire said the utility billing system will soon include additional reminder options that customers can set themselves (for example, a reminder two days before a bill is due) and staff expect to pursue further improvements in January. Mayor Jim Holmes and Assistant City Manager Ryan Holt thanked Giles for repeatedly bringing the issue to council's attention and asked staff to return with follow-up information.

Next steps: staff said they would review timing and fee options, discuss potential changes internally, and report back to council on possible adjustments and implementation considerations. No formal motion or vote on policy changes occurred during the session.