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Alberton reaches settlement with mayor over his unpaid $42K sewer bill

Alberton Mayor David Gordon has had his $42,280 outstanding sewer bill reduced to $8,035 after reaching a settlement with the town.

Gordon will pay $3,035 for the sewer rate charges for the period 2001-2019 as well as an overdue account penalty of $5,000, according to a public notice posted on the town's website.

The town council voted to ratify the settlement, on behalf of Alberton Sewage Collection and Treatment Corporation, during a special council meeting Oct. 3.

The terms were reached with the help of a mediator, Frank Gillan.

Gordon was elected mayor of Alberton on Nov. 5, 2018. Last June, he revealed he hadn't paid his sewer bill in years, which had risen to more than $42,000 with compounding interest. The report by the mediator said the outstanding bill went back to 2001.

'Miscommunication, misunderstanding'

Gordon had argued he shouldn't have to pay for the sewer service because he has his own septic system.

"I felt that if I'm not hooked up to something, I shouldn't be made to pay it," he told CBC News in June.

In his report, Gillan called the dispute "a perfect storm of miscommunication, misunderstanding, and missed opportunity, with neither party entirely blameless."

The town and Gordon reached an agreement after one day of mediation and a series of offers and counter-offers, according to the mediation report.

Gordon must pay the $3,035 by Oct. 12. He has to pay the $5,000 penalty in five equal instalments, ending on Sept. 30, 2020. He told CBC News he's already started paying back some of the money.

The mediator also recommended the town put procedures in place related to overdue accounts, to ensure a situation like this never happens again.

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