Thousands of Tri-City residents will be fined by their city halls for not paying their utility bills on time:
In Coquitlam, 10% of homeowners - about 3,700 residents - failed to pay for water, sewer and garbage by the April 2 deadline, leaving the city $3.7 million short. The percentage is about the same as last year, said Sheena MacLeod, the city's manager of financial services.
Some 2,420 taxpayers in Port Coquitlam will also face penalties for not submitting their utility money on time, up about 1% over last year, said chief financial officer Jackie Gorton.
And in Port Moody, communications assistant Jillian McCavour reported 1,323 homeowners had outstanding utility payments, down slightly from 2011.
The fines range between 5% and 10%, depending on the city.
Meanwhile, municipal property tax bills will be issued next month and are due to be paid in July.
