Confessions from a disorganized mind

Tax roll notices were sent out to delinquent water and sewer customers last week after the Village of Wittenberg board voted Oct. 6 to add the delinquent bills to the tax roll rather than send out disconnection notices.

The Public Service Commission, which regulates water and sewer, extended the moratorium that municipalities are not allowed to shut off water until Nov. 1, so the board decided to add the unpaid bills to the tax roll.

According to the notice, all delinquent water and sewer bills that remain unpaid by Nov. 12 will be levied as special assessments. The unpaid debt can then be also filed as a lien against the tenants’ personal assets and will show up on Consolidated Court Automation Programs.

Any payment not received by Oct. 29 will be subject to a 10% penalty fee.

The village offers a monthly payment plan to help make the quarterly payments easier for residents. However, according to Village Clerk Traci Matsche, only a handful of the many residents who signed up for the payment plan have actually made payments. She noted that some residents haven’t paid a water and sewer bill since March.

The village needs to collect as much of the billing as possible to be able to pay for the cost of operating the Water and Sewer Department. Any amount that goes on the tax roll won’t be paid to the village until the taxes are paid, Matsche said. If the taxes don’t get paid, the village also loses the water and sewer bill attached to it. Matsche noted that it can take three to four years of unpaid taxes before Shawano County gets involved.