GADSDEN COUNTY, FL (WTXL) — The City of Quincy is preparing for a nearly $200,000 loss in revenue following the approval of Florida's Amendment 3.
WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW:
But city leaders say addressing overdue utility payments from local businesses could help offset some of that loss.
Quincy's annual budget is approximately $38.6 million. During Tuesday night's city commission meeting, Mayor Robin Wood discussed how the newly approved property tax amendment could affect the city's finances and the need to identify other sources of revenue.
Wood pointed to utility payments as an important source of income for the city. However, city leaders revealed that some businesses, primarily gas stations, have fallen behind on their utility bills, leaving the city with outstanding balances totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.
"We need revenue and that is a road to revenue by requiring businesses to get their bills current for utilities especially because they are charging customers. So $194,000 if we could get $155,000 of that just based on over due utility bills then we would be ahead of the game," Wood said.
The mayor said she believes businesses should be held to the same payment standards as residents. If residents fail to pay their utility bills, their services can be disconnected, and she believes that policy should also apply to businesses.
If businesses continue to fall behind on payments, the city may consider bringing in a third-party collection agency to recover the outstanding debt.
City leaders also plan to develop an action plan to adjust to the expected revenue loss from Amendment 3.
Wood said she remains hopeful the city can work through its financial challenges while finding ways to recover overdue payments and maintain its budget.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website.
Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.
