Everett proposes more changes to utility billing timelines

Published 1:30 am Friday, March 13, 2026

EVERETT — Everett staff proposed changes to a law the city council approved in December 2025 that was set to adjust aspects of the city’s utility billing practices.

The law, approved late last year with a 90-day delay before it would go into effect, was set to amend the amount of time residents had to pay utility bills. It would make water and sewer bills due 20 days after they are issued — previous Everett law had two different due dates for water and sewer bills, though the city’s practice was to allow 20 days to pay each.

The law would also extend the amount of time before residents are considered delinquent to 10 days past due. It also required that a shut-off could not occur until a person was delinquent on their bills for at least 30 days.

The December law would mean an individual cannot have their water shut off for nonpayment of bills until at least 60 days after the bill is issued. Previously, it was around 40 days, Everett Public Works Director Ryan Sass said in December.

The council approved the law with a 90-day delay attached to allow staff to bring forward revisions to the proposal if needed. On Wednesday, city staff did so, requesting a number of changes to the previous ordinance:

• Considering customers delinquent when 6 days past due instead of 10.

• Reducing the number of days needed to be subject to a water shutoff to 21 days after delinquency instead of 30.

• Allowing customers to resume water service by paying all past due charges, instead of all outstanding charges as stated in the previous ordinance.

With those changes, the earliest a customer could face a shutoff of services is 48 days after their bill’s due date.

The city staff that proposed the new changes said they would prevent customers from accumulating too many late bills.

“We’re allowing more time, but not too much time,” said Shaun Bridge, a finance manager at the city’s public works department during Wednesday’s meeting. “Because what ends up happening is the unpaid balance from Bill A rolls into the unpaid balance of Bill B, and if that account ends up in a service interruption situation, that is a burdensome balance that we’re asking them to pay to restore service.”

The city is also considering administrative changes to the way it handles billing procedures, including issuing door hanger warnings earlier that alert customers of a possible shutoff in order to give customers more time to pay the bill or come up with a payment plan before services are halted, staff said. Those warnings come with a $52 fee, used to recoup the costs of distributing the notices.

Everett’s public works staff are also working on other service changes, including improving payment arrangement options, working on expanding the availability of a fee removal policy and considering expansion of utility bill assistance programs. Longer-term, the city is working on creating a new payment portal that will allow for additional payment options and free notifications via text or email.

The city council is expected to vote on the new ordinance — which would replace the law council approved in December — on March 25.

Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.