Mount Carmel Mayor Joe Judge is asking residents to show respect when conducting business at City Hall.
During Friday’s Ask the Mayor segment on WSJD, Judge addressed recent incidents involving verbal abuse toward city employees.
Judge says multiple situations in recent weeks have involved residents yelling, using profanity, and acting disrespectfully toward staff members over utility bills.
He emphasized that City Hall employees are not responsible for unpaid balances and should not be subjected to that type of behavior.
Judge says while the city understands financial pressures are increasing, residents must take responsibility for their accounts and treat employees with common courtesy.
He also outlined the city’s billing policies, noting water bills are due monthly, with additional time often provided before service disconnection.
The mayor says the city has implemented new automated notification systems to alert residents of high usage, potential leaks, or pending shutoffs.
Judge adds those efforts are designed to help residents avoid costly issues and prevent service interruptions.
He says the city is doing everything it can to assist customers, but respect and accountability must go both ways.