NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A9293
SPONSOR: Woerner TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation to method of
collection of charges by the town of Wilton water and sewer authority
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill provides that the town of Wilton water and sewer authority may
collect charges, fees and rates on its services that are in arrears for
more than ninety days by adding such charges as a lien on real property,
which will be transmitted to the receiver of taxes and assessments to be
levied against the property on an annual basis, payable with the proper-
ty's annual property taxes.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 creates a new section 1125-a of the publi.o authorities law
permitting the town of Wilton water and sewer authority to receive annu-
al payment of overdue charges through the annual property tax
collection.
Section 2 provides an effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Each year the town of Wilton water and sewer authority writes off thou-
sands of dollars in uncollected water and sewer rates, fees and charges
due to nonpayment of water bills. Such uncollected rates and charges
automatically become a lien on the property which are usually only paid
upon the sale of the property, causing the town to wait for long
periods'of time before it can collect such payment. This bill would
allow the town to collect overdue water and sewer payments annually as
part of the payment of property taxes. Several other water authorities
in New York, including Suffolk and Great Neck North, are currently
authorized to collect unpaid water bills in this manner.
PRIOR LEGIS-
LATIVE HISTORY:
New bill
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None for the state, will allow the town of Wilton to collect unpaid
water bills in an efficient and timely manner.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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9293
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
December 10, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WOERNER -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to method of
collection of charges by the town of Wilton water and sewer authority
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new
2 section 1125-a to read as follows:
3 § 1125-a. Charges by authority; method of collection. All rates, fees
4 and other charges for the use or availability of the facilities or
5 services or commodities provided or made available by the authority and
6 billed directly by the authority to the user or service recipient pursu-
7 ant to a classification of person adopted by the authority as herein
8 provided shall be a lien upon the real property upon which, or in
9 connection with which, services are provided or are made available, as
10 and from the first date fixed for a payment of such rates, fees and
11 other charges. Any such lien shall take precedence over all other liens,
12 or encumbrances, except taxes or assessments. The chief financial offi-
13 cer of the authority shall prepare and transmit to the receiver of taxes
14 and assessments, on or before the first day of November in each year, a
15 list of those properties using such facilities or for which such facili-
16 ties, services or commodities were provided or made available and from
17 which the payment of rates, fees and other charges are in arrears for a
18 period of ninety days or more after the last day fixed for payment of
19 such rates, fees and other charges without penalty. The list shall
20 contain a brief description of such properties, the names of the persons
21 or corporations liable to pay for the same, and the amount chargeable to
22 each, including penalties and interest, as applicable, computed to
23 December thirty-first of that year. The receiver of taxes and assess-
24 ments shall levy such sums against the properties liable and shall state
25 the amount thereof in a separate column in the annual tax rolls of the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14076-01-5
A. 9293 2
1 town under the heading "water charge". Such amounts, excluding penalties
2 and interest imposed by the town when collected by the town collector or
3 receiver of taxes, shall be paid over to the chief financial officer of
4 the authority. Town imposed penalties and interest shall be retained by
5 the town collector or receiver of taxes which shall become a part of the
6 general funds of the town. All of the provisions of the tax law of the
7 state governing enforcement and collection of unpaid taxes or assess-
8 ments for special improvements not inconsistent herewith shall apply to
9 the collection of such unpaid rates, rentals, fees and other charges.
10 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
11 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.
