Martins/Schimel Bill To Help Water Authority of Great Neck North Protect Ratepayers Signed By Governor Cuomo

     Senator Jack M. Martins (R-7th Senate District) and Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel (D-16th Assembly District) announced that legislation they sponsored to help the Water Authority of Great Neck North protect their ratepayers has been signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

     Each year, the Water Authority of Great Neck North loses revenue in unpaid water rates, fees and charges.  Most often, outstanding debts are from people who move out of Nassau County without paying their final bill. The costs associated with collecting unpaid charges from customers who are no longer Nassau County residents can cause a financial burden to the Authority and its ratepayers.

     State law currently allows municipal water districts to place liens on the property for unpaid bills, ensuring that they will be collected when the property is sold.  The law authored by Senator Martins and Assemblywoman Schimel (Chapter 339 of 2016) extends this protection to the Water Authority of Great Neck North, a state-chartered public authority.  This will help the Authority collect unpaid debts from responsible parties and ensure ratepayers are not forced to cover the lost revenue because someone didn’t pay what they owe.

     “Ratepayers shouldn’t have to cover costs for people who skipped town without paying their water bills.  Providing these new protections to the Water Authority of Great Neck North will ensure that these bills are paid by the responsible parties, not by all the other ratepayers.  I applaud Governor Cuomo for working with us to protect the ratepayers,” said Senator Martins.

     “This legislation provides the Water Authority of Great Neck North the same mechanism to collect unpaid water bills. Ratepayers should not be picking up the tab for those who skip out on not paying their water bill. I thank the Governor for signing this bill into law, protecting those who pay their fair share and take their responsibility seriously,” said Assemblywoman Schimel.

            “We thank Senator Martins, Assemblywoman Schimel, the State Legislature and the Governor for their continued support and hard work on behalf of our ratepayers,” said Water Authority of Great Neck North Superintendent Greg C. Graziano. “We are appreciative of their efforts in adopting this important legislation.”