Apartment manager tells Freeport council water bills jumped to $20,000 a month; asks council to review

Tony Torres, manager of Freeport Oaks Apartments, told the Freeport City Council on Feb. 17 that recent increases in the city’s water billing have pushed his property’s monthly charge to about $20,000 for 100 units, roughly $200 per door.

"We're not having leaks," Torres said, noting devices in each unit monitor flow and that the pool is off-season. He asked the council to review the billing for multi-unit properties and requested a meeting to reevaluate the charges.

Torres said earlier adjustments were made after a meeting that included the city attorney and corporate office; the presiding official clarified on the record that it was the city attorney and the city manager who met with the property’s representatives. Torres said apartment properties do not benefit from the elderly cap that applies to individual homeowners because bills are issued to the property rather than to individual residents.

The council did not take formal action on the request during the meeting; Torres requested staff and council review and a follow-up meeting. The transcript records the manager’s figures as his claim; no staff response or billing explanation was provided during public comment.

Context: Torres framed his appeal as an affordability issue for residents at a tax-credit property, saying many tenants are single parents or elderly households. He asked the council to consider affordability and to meet with property representatives to investigate the apparent billing increase.

Next steps noted at the meeting: Torres asked for a meeting to reevaluate the billing; the council did not vote on the matter during this session.