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Fate council directs staff to draft ordinance to put single‑family utility accounts in owners’ names
Summary
Council asked staff to prepare an ordinance requiring city water, wastewater and garbage accounts for single‑family rentals to be placed in the property owner’s name, after staff presented data showing rental accounts are more likely to go to collections and account for the bulk of recent bad debt; council asked for a 12‑month compliance window and more study on fairness and deposit rules.
Fate City Council on Nov. 11 directed staff to draft an ordinance that would require city utility accounts for single‑family rental properties to be established in the property owner’s name, citing data officials say show higher collection and disconnection rates for tenant‑named accounts.
Assistant City Manager Stephen Downs told the council the city’s audit and utility billing records show rental properties make up about 15% of utility accounts but a disproportionate share of problem accounts: ‘‘Just over 6% of rental accounts…go to collections,’’ he said, compared with about 1% of owner‑occupied accounts. He said the most recent audit showed roughly $44,000 in written‑off…
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