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Trailer-court owner says unresolved Fromberg water billing could add about $12,000 to his property tax bill; commissioners say they lack authority
Summary
At public comment, trailer-court owner Carl Rude described a multi-year water-billing dispute with the Town of Fromberg that he says left him with an unpaid water bill of about $12,000. County commissioners said the county lacks authority to compel the town but one commissioner will seek discussion with Fromberg officials.
Trailer-court owner Carl Rude told the Carbon County Board of Commissioners during public comment that an unresolved municipal water-billing arrangement in Fromberg has left him facing roughly $12,000 in unpaid charges that may be added to his property tax bill.
Rude said he and his wife bought the Fromberg trailer court in 2022 and intended to sign up the meter in his own name so he could bill tenants directly. He said former Fromberg Mayor Tim Nottingham discouraged that arrangement and told him that if he registered the meter under his own name he would face fines of $500 per day. Rude said a contract was drafted to bill resident tenants but that billing continued to be sent to the previous owner; "as of 2025, he now has an unpaid water bill of approximately $12,000," Rude told the board.
The issue, raised at 8:35 a.m., prompted a procedural response from the commissioners. Commissioner Bill Bullock said the board does not have authority to direct actions by the Town of Fromberg because it is a separate municipality. Commissioner Scott Miller said he would attempt to speak with Fromberg's mayor and city council to seek a resolution but emphasized that his outreach would be limited to conversation rather than a directive.
Treasurer Leah Niemi joined the public-comment exchange; no vote or formal county action was taken during the meeting to resolve the billing dispute. The record shows that Rude believes the billing problem dates to 2022, that the previous owner continued to receive bills despite a contract, and that the unresolved balance now faces collection via property tax assessment unless the town or water utility corrects the account.
Next steps reported to the board were limited: Miller said he would contact Fromberg officials to raise the issue. No county order, referral, or formal investigation was recorded in the minutes, and the commissioners did not vote on any directive concerning Fromberg's billing practices at this meeting.
Community members seeking a remedy should note that the county meeting minutes record only the complaint and the commissioners' plan to contact Fromberg officials; the minutes do not show any binding county authority to reverse municipal billing or remove charges assessed by the town.
