ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio — Some St. Clairsville residents have reported delays in receiving their February utility bills, prompting city officials to waive late fees for affected customers.
The utility bills were mailed to customers on February 6, but many have yet to receive them due to postal delays. Originally, bills were due by February 26, to avoid a 10% late fee penalty. Additionally, a 2% charge applies for payments made by credit card.
St. Clairsville Mayor Kathryn Thalman confirmed the issue during an interview with Dimitri Vassilaros, host of “Dimitri! Live & Dangerously Local!™️,” on Tuesday, February 25.
Mayor Thalman explained that she reached out to the local post office and spoke with a supervisor named Amy, who assured her the situation had been escalated for further investigation. According to the post office, mail originating from Hebron — where the bills were processed — may have been routed through Canton, Cleveland, or even Pittsburgh, causing unexpected delays.
Recognizing that the delay was beyond residents’ control, Mayor Thalman, along with the city’s Service Director and Utility Office staff, quickly decided to waive the late fees. “Even though this wasn’t St. Clairsville’s fault, we felt it was only fair to ease the burden on our citizens by forgiving the late charges,” the mayor said.
Mayor Thalman also emphasized that the city will continue to work with the post office to prevent similar issues in the future.
“This was an unfortunate situation, but we’re committed to making sure our residents are treated fairly,” she added.
St. Clairsville residents concerned about their bill amounts are encouraged to contact the Utility Office directly at 740-695-1410. The office is open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
Employees at the Belmont County Sanitary Sewer District previously told River News Network that bills mailed to their customers are sometimes delayed due to USPS delivery issues, causing payment delays and late fees.
