Letter to the Editor: Missed Water Bill and Late Charges

Here is a letter from a Scarsdale resident concerning their water bill. He reports that he did not receive his bill in August and was assessed late fees and a penalty on the November bill. Did you have a similar experience? Please comment below:

(From Mr. Ruder)

We just received our 11/1/25 water bill from Scarsdale. It included the fees for May-July and August-October as well as a penalty for non-payment of the first piece. I called the water department and told them that in 28 years here in Scarsdale, we had never missed a payment deadline and that I did not receive the May-July invoice....so I did not pay it.

They said that they were aware of a number of residents who did not receive their May-July bill. They will let me know if they will waive the penalty as they consider their response to this situation. I can only hope that they are reasonable and fair in their decision-making here.

This is so similar to the "lost" school tax bills from a couple of years ago. It seems that something remains broken in the Scarsdale system for getting these important documents out to residents.

Brian Ruder

We asked Scarsdale Village Manager Alexandra Marshall for a comment and here is what she shared: "The Water Department staff forwarded me your question. At this time, we have been contacted by 76 water account customers who have indicated they did not receive their August water bill. As calls come in, water department staff continue to work with costumers to resolve their billing concerns. Recognizing concerns from the public about reliability of postal service, the Village continues to put out additional electronic reminders about important upcoming bill/collection deadlines. Staff have also been exploring tools to make payment of bills easier for our residents."