Resident tells forum three homes lack sewage service; candidates pledge to investigate

A resident at a Stewart County–hosted Cumberland City forum told mayoral and alderman candidates that three homes on his hill lack sewage service and said the households nonetheless pay municipal taxes.

“We don’t have sewage. We pay taxes,” the attendee said, pressing candidates for an explanation and action. Candidates acknowledged they did not have the technical details at the forum. Philip Taylor said he and the council would “look into that.” Melissa Dunlap Cross and Lydia Spencer said water and sewer line updates were being discussed and that they would follow up through municipal channels.

City officials did not provide a timeline or plan during the forum. Dunlap Cross noted the town and county have discussed water-line updates and potential tie-ins to extend sewer service; Taylor said he would seek more information on responsibilities and funding. Spencer, who serves on the reactivated Parks and Rec Committee, emphasized community involvement but did not outline an engineering or funding solution at the forum.

The forum provided no further technical detail about which streets are affected beyond the resident’s description of a “hill” and the exchange that clarified the number as three homes. Candidates and the moderator encouraged the resident to provide more information to the mayor and council so staff can assess utility maps, water-line capacity and potential sewer tie-in options.

Next steps: candidates said they would bring the question to the appropriate council or staff for investigation; no timeline for repair or service extension was offered at the forum.