Macclesfield board approves temporary waiver of late utility fees with strict repayment deadline

Mayor Michael Speight called the Town of Macclesfield special called meeting to order on July 29, 2024. After a public-comment period and a closed-session discussion about options to help residents, the board voted to temporarily waive late and delinquent fees for certain utility accounts.

Commissioner Paula Lewis moved to waive late fees and delinquent fees on bills due Aug. 10, stipulating that the total balance must be paid in full before 8:00 a.m. on Aug. 21. Commissioner Joyce Braxton seconded the motion. Commissioner Jason Taylor voted no; Commissioners Jean Wooten-Jiles, Joyce Braxton and Paula Lewis voted yes, and the motion passed 3–1.

The board specified that any bills not paid in full by 8:00 a.m. on Aug. 21 will have both penalties reapplied and service will be cut off. The vote followed a closed-session discussion in which commissioners reviewed options to assist citizens facing delinquent accounts; the transcript does not record the details of that closed-session discussion.

This action applies only to bills due Aug. 10 and only if the account balance is paid in full by the stated deadline. The board did not authorize alternative payment schedules or partial reductions; penalties will be reinstated and service terminated for accounts remaining unpaid after the deadline.

The board also took related steps during the meeting to address billing practices more broadly (see separate article on budget billing). No statute, ordinance, or external funding source was cited at the meeting as the legal basis for the waiver.

The board adjourned at 5:55 p.m.