Utility Billing
CONTACT INFORMATION:
The Tax/Utility office is situated on the 1st floor of the municipal building, which is located at 12 S High Street. Office hours are Monday-Thursday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Drive-Thru hours are Monday-Thursday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Phone: 856-825-7000 Extension 7611 Fax: 856-293-0732 or 856-327-3390
Overview The utility billing department, has many duties, which include but are not limited to: a)Generating Utility Billings b)Processing Meter Readings c)Enforcing Collections of Bills by Turn-off's and Tax Sale d)Maintaining Customer Files for all Accounts in the City of Millville Understanding the Billing Process: Every month the Water Maintenance department, sends a reader, to obtain readings from the section of town that is due to be billed. West Side of Town: If you live West of Buck Street (W Main Street, Cedarville Road, Carmel Road, Fairton Road, S Sharp Street or any side Roads off of these roads)Your Water Meter will be Read During February, May, August, and November. Center of Town: If you live East of Buck, and North of Vine Street (Streets 2nd-10th), off of Wheaton Avenue, N Sharp Street, Union Lake, (or any side roads off of these roads) Your Water Meter will be Read During March, June, September, and December. East of Town: If you live East of Buck and South of Vine Street (Streets 2nd-10th), S 2nd Street, Orange Street, East of Wade Boulevard on Broad Street and Main Street (Route 49) or any side roads off of these roads.Your water meter will be read during January, April, July, and October. If you are unsure of when your meter is read, you may call our office, and we will go over the process with you. At the end of the reading month, the Utility Office, reviews the meter readings, updates and calculates the bills for the accounts; prints and mails the bills by the 15th of the month following the meter reading. The Bill then becomes due the first of the Following Month:
Examples: 1) Cedarville Road Will be Read in February, Billing will update in March, and issue the Bill Due Apr. 1. 2) 400 Block of N 3rd Street Will be Read in March, Billing will update in April and issue the Bill Due May 1. 3) 200 Block of N 3rd Street Will be Read in January, Billing will update in February and issue the Bill Due March 1. Delinquent Accounts Interest will be charged at a rate of 8% for the 1st $1500.00 of delinquency and 18% for any delinquency over $1500.00 per state statute N.J.S.A 54:4-67.
Any balance owing as of June 30, in excess of $10,000 will be assessed a 6% year-end penalty. Understanding Utility Termination Procedures: When utilities (water and sewer) become delinquent, we have guidelines to follow, to enforce collections of daily accounts, that can lead to the termination of your utilities. 1) 1st notice of delinquency is a delinquent letter, sent after the due date, to remind the homeowner of a balance due, these letters are generated once a month until the account is no longer in arrears. 2) Once the bill is considered 30 days delinquent, we issue a notice of violation; giving a time period as to when the account must be paid in order to avoid any further collection procedures. 3) After the Notice of Violation is issued, and the time frame as expired as state on the notice (usually 25-30 days) an Order to Show Cause will be issued; where a homeowner must pay the amount due for the delinquent quarter or show cause as to why their utility services should not be terminated.This meeting is usually held the 2nd Tuesday of every month. Once these notices are sent an additional fee of $25.00 for Water and $25.00 for Sewer that will be added to the account, to cover administrative fees such as the cost of mailings. 4) A Resolution will be approved by the Board of Commisioners, at the meeting following the Order to Show Cause Hearing, asking for permission to terminate service, to all delinquent properties; that have not paid up to that date; Once approved, the property will be posted for termination the Wednesday following the commission meeting.This posting will be mailed regular and certified mail and posted on the property. 5) The homeowner must pay the amount due for the delinquent quarter, or make payments arrangements, prior to the turn-off date. Once the property is sent to the Water Superintendent on the day of turn-off's; this property is considered off, and a turn-off and turn-on fee will be charged of $25.00 each; and the total amount due on the account must be paid, a homeowner can no longer just pay the quarter it was turned-off for. 6) All water or sewer charges outstanding as of the 11th day of the 11th Month of the current fiscal year, provided the tax sale is held during the last month of the fiscal year, will be subject to our tax sale. This includes any account that has been turned off for non-payment, and still has a delinquent balance. |
