Thousands of the residents who dealt with the threat of lead poisoning and the subsequent scarcity of water during the Flint water crisis, now face eviction not paying their water bills.
A local NBC news station reported on Tuesday, May 2, that over 8,000 homes received notices that they'd face losing their homes to foreclosure if they do not settle their balances by May 19. The letters went as far as to threaten that the government will go imposing tax liens to collect on up to six months of delinquent payments.
Many admit to refusing to pay water in the aftermath of the scandal, which dominated headlines throughout 2014 when it was discovered that up to 12 deaths and a multitude of cases of lead poisoning came as a result of the contamination that washed through pipes, after the government ordered that the local water source be switched to the Flint River. Although Flint's water has now been ruled in compliance with federal regulations, it still hasn't been declared safe to drink by local officials.
Despite the lack of trust expressed by the local citizenry, Flint's treasury department says it is adamant about receiving the necessary funds to keep the city running. "We have to have revenue coming in, so we can't give people water at the tap and not get revenue coming in to pay those bills," treasury dept. official Al Mooney told NBC.
Source: businessinsider.com
