The town of Tallahassee in Oklahoma doesn’t have its own water supply; it gets its water from nearby Porter.  The monthly charge for this service varies from $1,200 to $1,500 a month, but Richard Keck, mayor of Porter, says the bill hasn’t been paid consistently since 2009, and Tallahassee now owes Porter $33,000 in back water bills.

Strangely, Tallahassee has not responded to demands for an explanation, but did pay the most recent water bills in full – and on time.

Frustrated, the town of Porter recently went to court seeking an order giving them permission to turn off the water, which Mayor Keck says no one wants to do, as they know it would make life very difficult for the residents of Tallahassee.  Those residents are just as mystified as Porter, and recently began circulating a grand jury petition demanding an investigation into where the money earmarked for the water bills has been going for the last five years.  Encouraged by this, Mayor Keck and the town of Porter have agreed to enter mediation with Tallahassee to resolve the situation.

According to Keck, the goal for Porter is to “come out of it with what we are owed and a plan for future payment.”

The next official payment is due to Porter on September 25^th.  They have so far received no notice as whether Tallahassee will make a third on-time payment in a row.  Regardless, they maintain that while keeping up with payments going forward is a necessity, the issue of the past due bills must be addressed immediately, as the water infrastructure in Porter desperately needs upgrading.