(File Photo/paNOW Staff) 

By Alison Sandstrom

Water woes

P.A. exploring options to recoup money from unpaid water bills

Feb 13, 2020 | 5:41 PM

The city of Prince Albert is working on solutions to recover some of the money lost every year to unpaid water bills.

Adding the outstanding bills to property taxes or doubling the deposit to sign up for water are among options being considered.

As of 2018, the city is owed 1.4 million in unpaid utility bills.

Statistics show over 87 per cent of the total amounts owing are from renters, with just over 12 per cent are from property owners.

Saskatchewan municipalities have the legal authority to put unpaid bills on homeowners’ property taxes, an idea that understandably is not popular with landlords.

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“If utility arrears are put on the backs of landlords we’ll be forced to raise our rents to protect our loses,” Saskatchewan Landlords Association Executive Officer Cameron Choquette told paNOW. “That will ultimately affect the low income people of P.A. far greater than anybody else. That’s an opportunity for increased homelessness.”

Choquette and around 20 P.A. landlords met with city staff last week to discuss ways to recoup outstanding bills. Choquette said the meeting went well and the city staff members listened seriously to their concerns and suggestions.

Another potential solution being considered is doubling the deposit to sign up for water from $150 to $300.

During Monday night’s city council executive meeting Coun. Don Cody said he spoke with a property owner in favour of upping the deposit.

“He had a pretty good reason,” Cody said. “A lot of the renters get their first deposit from the government by way of social services, resulting in the fact that there would be no hardship on the person [if the deposit was increased].”

City adminstration is currently working on a report on potential ways to recoup money lost to outstanding water bills. That document is expected to come to council in the spring.

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom