SALISBURY — Residents of Circle Drive and Matika Villa will keep their water service and can remain in their homes, a Salisbury city official said today.
“County and city staff have come together and created a proposal to keep the water on,” said Jim Behmer, director of Salisbury-Rowan Utilities. “The water will not be turned off this Friday.”
The city previously warned residents that if landlord Tim Smith doesn’t pay his outstanding water bill, it may turn off the water in the two mobile home neighborhoods at the end of the month. Residents then would have between 30 and 45 days before eviction.
But Behmer said today that Salisbury will receive part of the residents’ rent payments once they are seized by the county.
Because Smith is also delinquent on property taxes, Rowan County has already begun seizing rents paid by residents of Circle Drive and is now beginning the process for Matika Villa. The mobile home park residents will pay their rent to the county instead of Smith.
City and county officials met Monday to formalize an agreement that would give the city a portion of the rent money to pay Smith’s water bill.
Officials are out at Matika Villa this afternoon to notify the residents that their water will stay on and their landlord cannot evict them.
Read more in Wednesday’s Post.