Updated July 26, 2026, 2:19 p.m. ET
Wilmington Mayor John Carney dusted off his veto stamp on an ordinance that would have prohibited the city from shutting off water for some residents who are behind on their water bills.
The ordinance narrowly passed July 9 by one vote and then was sent back with a veto stamp July 22. The ordinance, sponsored by Council member Shané Darby, would have stopped the city from shutting off water for delinquent accounts for households with:
- Incomes up to 350% of the federal poverty level
- Someone who is 65 or older
- Children 5 years old and younger
- Someone who receives certain types of disability benefits
Anyone looking for an exemption would need to apply for one. In a July 10 press release, Darby said the ordinance is six years in the making, and there are more water affordability reforms in the works. She said it protects the city’s “vulnerable” households.
“This legislation is about protecting human dignity,” she said in the release. “Water is not a luxury. It is essential for life. No senior, no person living with a disability and no family with a young child should have to fear losing access to clean water because they are struggling financially.”
In his veto letter to City Council President Ernest “Trippi” Congo, Carney said the ordinance would disarm the city of a critical way to compel payment. He said there are 4,000 accounts behind on water payments in Wilmington and that water disconnections are “rare.”
The fiscal note for the ordinance said the water and sewer fund would not be able to collect most or all of $1.8 million in missed payments from this group of households and estimated it would be unable to collect $500,000 to $1.7 million annually.
Carney said the guardrails against disconnection are already strong, saying the city gives a six-month notice before disconnections. The city doesn’t shut off anyone’s water during extreme weather, weekends or an economic crisis, he said.
“Our collections strategy is fair, consistent, and generally focused on the highest-balance accounts – commercial and residential alike,” Carney’s letter said. “We do not target vulnerable residents, and we do not deploy disconnections arbitrarily. But we cannot responsibly manage our water utility if we are prohibited from using the very tool that compels engagement and prevents further deterioration of the system.”
His letter said he was open to expanding eligibility for the city’s utility payment assistance program and leveraging state and federal funds as much as possible.
The veto could face a City Council override, and the predetermined City Council break that was supposed to end Aug. 20 has been interrupted. A meeting to vote on the override is scheduled for Aug. 6, and it needs nine votes from the 13 council members to succeed.
Shane Brennan covers Wilmington and other Delaware issues. Reach out with ideas, tips or feedback at slbrennan@delawareonline.com.
