The Monroe Municipal Utilities Authority (MMUA) and the township’s board of education are in a legal battle over alleged unpaid water and sewer bills for the latter’s six schools and two administration buildings.
On Feb. 13, the MMUA posted a message on its website stating that, as of April 1, 2024, the board “began withholding tax-paid funds allocated for water and sewer bills and have forced the authority into litigation.”
The board answered with its own message to the “taxpayers of Monroe Township” on the school district’s website.
” … the MUA has not presented the true facts and circumstances which caused the board of education to make this important decision to protect your hard-earned tax dollars,” the board countered.
The MMUA – led by Executive Director Wendy Mahoney and board of directors’ chair Tony Neri – is an independent public body politic and corporate of the state that was created by virtue of an ordinance of the township of Monroe, Gloucester County, New Jersey, adopted Sept. 26, 1957, and was organized as a Municipal Utilities Authority on May 8, 1959, according to its website.
The authority was created to construct and operate a sanitary sewerage system in the township for the collection and disposal of wastewater and a water supply and distribution system. The MMUA has eight wells and 28 pumping stations, along with a sewage collection system whose waste is pumped to the Gloucester County Utilities Authority.
The total population served by the MMUA is 36,100, with 14,797 water customers and 14,934 sewer customers.
“As stakeholders in our municipal water and sewer system, we are committed to keeping you informed about matters that may have an impact on our operations,” the MMUA’s online message stated. “While we have the right to terminate service for non-payment, we would not want to negatively impact the school year. The board of education’s failure to pay its bills for the six schools and two administration buildings could place a significant financial strain on our system’s operations.
“We appreciate your understanding and support as we navigate this challenging situation and remain committed to maintaining the quality and reliability of your water and sewer services.”
The board of education – led by chair Jimmy Magee – countered the MMUA message, noting that “as part of an efficiency study of the school district’s utility costs, performed by Johnson Controls, the board of education learned that it is being charged two to three times what nearby school districts are paying for each gallon of water utilized in the schools.
“This finding was further validated by separate research conducted by the acting superintendent, (Brian McBride),” the board noted. “The excessive cost of water in Monroe Township is the result of inefficiencies and excessive spending at the MUA, and not anything unusual about the supply of water in Monroe Township.
“The excessive cost of water to the school district is further compounded by the fact that the MUA’s billing structure assumes that every staff member and student uses every water amenity in the schools 365 days a year, even though the schools are never fully occupied, and the school year is only 180 days,” the board added.
“The MUA even billed the school district for full occupancy when the schools were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“The MUA refused to engage in any meaningful discussion with the school district’s representatives and threatened the board of education with litigation,” the board stated, arguing that it attempted for months to resolve the conflict. “This left the board with no choice but to seek appropriate legal remedies against the MUA in court.
“The board has set aside the funds in dispute in a separate budget line item and they are available at any time for payment, but not until the billing issue is resolved,” it maintained. “The board of education is committed to operating its facilities and programs in the most cost-efficient manner possible and has a duty to protect the school district from excessive, arbitrary, and unreasonable charges for water.”
The Sun reached out to Mahoney at MMUA and the school district’s McBride with the school district for further comment, but they had not responded as of press time.
Along with posting on their websites, both MMUA and the district posted individual messages on their Facebook pages that garnered public comment.
“… Both sides should provide clear financial figures,” one resident said. “How much is actually owed, how our rates compare to other districts, and what steps are being taken to resolve this. Taxpayers deserve transparency, not just statements designed to win public support.”
