Special to Iredell Free News

In March, Gov. Roy Cooper signed Executive Order #124, which allowed utility customers to defer payment of their utility bills without penalty of late fees or being disconnected to help protect customers impacted by COVID-19.

Cooper signed Executive Order #142 in May, extending this prohibition. This Order is scheduled to expire July 29.

Currently, the Town of Mooresville has more than 1,200 water/sewer utility accounts with deferred payments. These customers will be receiving a letter from the Town next week outlining a repayment agreement for charges that became due during the effective period of the order.

Per State law, deferred charges for services used between March and July 2020 cannot be forgiven or reduced.

“It is important for customers with deferred payments to understand that moving forward, they must follow an agreed-upon repayment plan on a monthly basis until the balance is paid in full,” said Deborah Hockett, the town’s chief finance officer. “The Town cannot forgive the debts, nor can we make additional extensions.”

Beginning with the September bill and including all subsequent bills thereafter, customers with deferred payments must pay their current bill amount, plus their deferred repayment amount to avoid disconnection.