Hazleton City officials said Tuesday they are cracking down on deadbeats who won't pay their trash bills.
Most people pay the $208 yearly fee but 2,000 Hazleton resident have not. Those who have not been paying will find their name, address and how much they owe posted for everyone to see in city hall. The total bill is $500,000.
Mary Ellen Lieb, acting city administrator, said "We try to bill people no more than what it takes to pay the trash haulers. We're not trying to make any money on this."
Lieb said already the the city is facing tough financial times as it is and was forced to take the action on trash fees. "Our deficit is over a million dollars, which we are working real hard on formulating next year's budget and try to recover," Lieb added. She said stopping trash pickups for those who don't pay is not an option. " We don't want to see garbage laying all over the city and I think thats the result of something like that would be."
There are some people, according to records, who owe a couple of hundred dollars. There are others who owe more than a thousand.
A Newswatch16 crew went to some of the property owners' homes to find no one home or they didn't want to talk about the overdue fees. Some people were paying up at city hall but again, embarrassment prevented from from talking publicly.
The 2,000 who owe have until the end of the month to pay in full or make payment arrangements or the city will take the offenders to court.
Most people pay the $208 yearly fee but 2,000 Hazleton resident have not. Those who have not been paying will find their name, address and how much they owe posted for everyone to see in city hall. The total bill is $500,000.
Mary Ellen Lieb, acting city administrator, said "We try to bill people no more than what it takes to pay the trash haulers. We're not trying to make any money on this."
Lieb said already the the city is facing tough financial times as it is and was forced to take the action on trash fees. "Our deficit is over a million dollars, which we are working real hard on formulating next year's budget and try to recover," Lieb added. She said stopping trash pickups for those who don't pay is not an option. " We don't want to see garbage laying all over the city and I think thats the result of something like that would be."
There are some people, according to records, who owe a couple of hundred dollars. There are others who owe more than a thousand.
A Newswatch16 crew went to some of the property owners' homes to find no one home or they didn't want to talk about the overdue fees. Some people were paying up at city hall but again, embarrassment prevented from from talking publicly.
The 2,000 who owe have until the end of the month to pay in full or make payment arrangements or the city will take the offenders to court.
