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TheFoothillsFocus.com
INSIDE
This Week
NEWS ................. 6
HonorHealth hiring more than 1,200 positions in Arizona
FEATURES ........ 20 Dynamic Motion Dance Academy students entertain seniors with performance
YOUTH ............. 24 Student wins Congressional Art Competition
OPINION ................... 10 BUSINESS ................. 17 FEATURES ................ 20 YOUTH ...................... 24 CLASSIFIEDS ............ 26 Zone I
Artist Robin Rand Serving the communities of Anthem, Desert Hills, Norterra, Sonoran Foothills, Stetson Valley, Tramonto, New River, Desert Ridge and North Phoenix
Anthem Area Edition
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Wednesday, July 14, 2021
Unpaid city water bills near $10.5M and counting BY PAUL MARYNIAK Foothills Focus Staff Writer
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elinquent city water accounts are soaring in Phoenix as officials continue their pandemic-related policy of not turning off the tap for households and businesses that aren’t paying their bill. More than 21,500 Phoenix households have run up a tab totaling $7.3 million while 609 businesses owe another $2.2 million, according to a report that the city manager’s office sent city council. Combined with accounts that stole water and now owe $1.1 million, delinquent Phoe-
nix Water Services Department customers – 22,923 businesses and households – owe $10,489,000, according to the report. Total project revenue from all water accounts is estimated at $850 million this year. The total now owed for water services is more than five times the $1.8 million in delinquencies the city faced just two years ago and there appears to be no plan for recouping the money any time soon. Aside from a closed-door discussion of the problem, city council has yet to address the problem and apparently won’t be taking up the matter until it returns from summer break.
“We are planning for a discussion with council in the fall when they are back from break,” administration spokeswoman Stephanie Bracken told The Foothills Focus. “In the meantime, we are working closely with residents who are in need of some help paying their bills through our various assistance programs.” To help customers pay their water and other utility bills, the city early last year allocated $1.6 million in federal pandemic relief funds through several different programs. Then, on Dec. 17, the city started spending
�ee WATER BILLS page 4
Youth theater classes help kids on and off the stage
BY ALLISON BROWN Foothills Focus Staff Writer
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he Musical Theatre of Anthem’s fall slate of classes will focus on acting, improv, audition techniques, film study and juggling. “We do it because we want the kids to be well rounded, we want them to be able to act, dance — do all of it,” said Sierra Litman, production manager and director of educational programming for the theater.
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MTA teaches more than acting. It teaches self-confidence, social skills and how to work with a team. (Photo by Michele Celentano)
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