A possible change in the utility bill payment procedure may make Jim Thorpe Borough residents think twice about ignoring their garbage bill.

Council had preliminary discussion Thursday night about changing the way utility payments are credited to accounts.

Borough Manager Maureen Sterner said while many customers have caught up or entered into payment plans for delinquent water and sewer bills over the past few years, garbage accounts are still a big issue.

“I would say we’re at over $75,000 in past due garbage fees that are owed to the borough,” Sterner said.

Why choose to neglect just the garbage bill?

Sterner said many residents take advantage of the fact that the borough will not shut off water service for an overdue garbage account. For health reasons, the borough’s trash hauler also won’t let garbage at a property where the owner is not caught up or making payments on a bill.

“There are a couple municipalities that have ordinances stating that any utility payments that come in are applied to the oldest outstanding utility amounts no matter what those utilities are,” Sterner said. “That is what we would be looking at.”

That means if someone sends in money intending it to be for the water bill, the municipality could use it toward past due garbage bills instead. That would also put the water account behind, meaning the municipality could shut off that service.

“We need to have a way to get people to pay their garbage bills and not just their water bills,” Sterner said.

While she suggested an ordinance making that policy effective in two years, which would give residents a grace period to enter into payment plans for garbage, Councilman Mike Yeastedt said that might be too long to wait.

“I think we could start now and choose a certain percentage that goes toward past due bills,” he said. “For example, if we chose 10%, and your water bill was $100, now we’re taking $10 of that to put toward the overdue garbage account. In actuality then, you’d have to pay $110 to also keep your water account current.”

Sterner said she would consult the borough’s solicitor to get further guidance on how the ordinance could or could not be implemented.

In recent years, the borough has also cracked down on past due water and sewer accounts, getting that delinquent amount down to about $5,000.

“I think it’s a good idea to try and stop some of these loopholes,” Council President Greg Strubinger said.

“Someone will think twice about not paying their garbage bill if their water service is in jeopardy.”