Stronger Families. Stronger Communities. Stronger Washington

March 25- Last night, one day before Utility Bills were due, the City of Centralia adopted a motion to amend the Utility Billing and Collection policies in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Although more relief may come, the following amendments were approved (7-0):

  • Temporarily suspend late fees for residential and small commercial customers.
  • Small commercial customers that are mandated to close their business by the state will be offered the option to pay 50% of their utility bill balance due until July 1, 2020.  The account will need to be paid in full or have a payment set up by July 26, 2020 to avoid penalties and interest.  Other details to follow.
  • Small commercial customers will not be sent to collections during the declared COVID-19 emergency.

Individuals, families, and businesses in our community will need assistance recovering from this crisis. Considering the City does not know the full economic impact, the amended policies were a welcomed first step and gives Centralia utility customers and the City the opportunity to take a deep breath, assess the situation, and consider additional relief before our next meeting in three week.

Peter Abbarno, Centralia Mayor Pro Tem

Learn more at www.CityofCentralia.com

Most Recent Posts

The Chronicle Newspaper Endorses Rep. Peter Abbarno

Oct 29, 2026 |

By The Chronicle Editorial Board State Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Chehalis, represents a brand of conservatism that combines traditional Republican principles with an emphasis on compassion, community service and opportunity for those who too often find themselves left...

When Local Priorities Become State Investments

Oct 7, 2026 |

For the C-C Chamber of Commerce One of the most important parts of representing our community in Olympia is listening to local leaders, identifying real needs, and then working together to turn those priorities into results. I recently toured the Lewis County Public...