Utility Services FAQ
You can check your meter out by simply shutting off all of the water in your house and checking your meter reading. Next, run five gallons of water into a container and then recheck your meter reading, it should have increased by five gallons compared to your previous reading. If you find that the meter reading did not increase by five gallons, please contact the Village Office.
Water meters are installed with two basic components: a mechanical flow monitor (impeller) and an FM radio antenna. The impeller records the water flow and the antenna transmits the recorded information to the DPW computer.
The location of water meters varies, however most meters are located in the basement of the home. Some meters are located in pits or water vaults outside of the home. If you need to locate your meter and are unable to do so, please feel free to contact the Village office for assistance.
“Leak Letters” are sent out by the Village as a courtesy, no action is required, we do however, recommend that you investigate the concern. Leak letters are sent out when the village meter reading system indicates that your water meter ran constantly for at least 24 hours. It may be from a dripping faucet, a “running” toilet or an outdoor spigot that wasn’t completely shut off.
First, check to see if the leak is still occurring by shutting off all water sources in your home, then go check to see if the water meter is recording usage. If no usage is showing, your running water issue may no longer exist. If the meter is showing usage, you should investigate further.
Not all water leaks are obvious; you won’t necessarily see a puddle of water in your home. Check to see that any water sources are not turned on or dripping and make sure that the toilet isn’t running, this alone can increase your water usage by 10,000 gallons a month or more! The Village also will provide you with dye tablets to place in the tank of your toilet which can indicate a “silent” leak between the tank and bowl. Other leak sources can be water heaters or water softeners.
Finally, once you have found and repaired your water leak, you can contact the Village office for a billing abatement. The Village staff is authorized to reduce your bill if you have water usage in excess of 150% of the average water use for your property, specific details are available at the Village Hall.
Water Bill FAQ
- In Person: 177 E. Main St., Marcellus, MI 49067
- Night Depository: 177 E. Main St., Marcellus, MI 49067 (check or money orders recommended)
- By Mail: The Village of Marcellus, P.O. Box 429, Marcellus, MI 49067
- On Line: Through Invoice Cloud which you can access through BS&A here: Pay Here
- By Autopay: Register Online
Office Hours: 8:30am to 12:00pm and 1:00pm to 4:30pm, Monday – Friday
The Village is not responsible for mail delivery, checks in transit, or checks lost in transit. If you fear that the check may have been lost in the mail or that the check may not arrive at the Village Office before the deadline please drop the check off at the Village Office or use one of the other methods of payment.
Occasionally there are issues with mail delivery, if you don’t receive your bill please feel free to stop by the Village Office. Failure to receive your bill is not an excuse for non-payment.
Current payment must be received in our office by 4:30 P.M. on the 20th of each month to avoid late fees. Late fees will be assessed at 4:30 P.M. on the 20th of each month.
Past due amounts must be paid by 4:30 P.M. the 10th of the month; fees will be assessed if past due is not paid by 4:30 P.M. on the 10th of the month and staff will begin discontinuing services at 9:00 A.M. on the first workday following the 10th of the month (Note: if the 1st workday following the 10th of the month falls on a Friday, service disconnects will begin on the next workday at 9:00 A.M.)
Property Tax FAQ
Within the Village limits we have two types of taxes:
- The first is the Village of Marcellus Taxes once a year tax. They begin July 1st and are due by September 15th. All tax payments can be mailed to the Village of Marcellus at PO Box 429, Marcellus, MI 49067 or dropped off in person at the Village Hall.
- The Second tax is the Marcellus Township Taxes. The Township has two taxes:
- The Summer Taxes which run the same time as the Village Tax, July 1st through September 15th
- The Winter Taxes which begins December 1st and runs through February 28th. All Township taxes can be turned into the Township Hall or mailed to Marcellus Township at PO Box 203, Marcellus, MI 49067.
Starting in 2021 Village taxes not paid by the due date may be paid at Village Hall. Delinquent taxes owed prior to 2021 must be paid at the Cass County Treasurers Office at 120 N Broadway, Cassopolis, MI 49031.
Waste Removal Services FAQ
Please bag all trash, loose items end up blowing away when the containers are dumped.
- Your trash pickup day is Tuesday. Trash pick-up begins at 6:00 a.m.
- If your pickup day follows a holiday during the week, your pick-up will be delayed by one day. If the holiday precedes your pickup day, there will be no delay in pickup.
- Place your container within 3 feet of the edge of the street with the handle facing towards the house. Make sure you don’t place the container within 3 feet of any other object such as other trash, a tree, a telephone or light pole, mailbox, or parked car. Never place a container under an overhead power line.
- During the winter season, make sure to keep the area around your trash container cleared of snow as well, if it is frozen into a snow bank, the service may not be able to empty it.
- Your trash will not be picked-up during a snow emergency but Michiana Recycling will get the job done as soon as possible.
- Once your container has been emptied, remove it from the side of the street as soon as possible to avoid having it hit by vehicles or buried in a snow pile.
RECYCLING can be accomplished by placing recyclable materials in a separate LRS recycling roll cart. You must sign up for recycling service through the Village offices. Pick up is every other Tuesday starting August 1, 2023. Recyclable materials include: newspaper, junk mail, cardboard, tin cans, aluminum, glass, brown paper and plastic jugs (#1-7). Stop by at the Village Hall for a complete recycling list. or go here: Recycling Guidelines
PROHIBITED ITEMS include animal waste, large items such as furniture, appliances, carpeting, remodeling/construction material, earth, gravel, concrete, ashes, burn barrels, paint, motor oil or other liquid material.
Village of Marcellus Bulk Garbage Pick-up is the LAST Tuesday of the Month. Cart Service includes 1 Item pick-up each Month. Dumpsters are excluded.
SPECIAL BULK PICK-UPS cost extra and must be arranged by calling the Village Hall at 269-646-5485 at least 1 week prior to the date for pick-up. Do not place bulk items at the curbside without making arrangements for pick-up through the Village office.
- For those have elected once a week pick-up your trash pickup day is Tuesday, if you are set up for a twice a week pick-up, your second pick-up day is Friday. Trash pick-up begins at 6:00 a.m.
- If your pickup day falls on a holiday during the week, your pick-up will be delayed by one day. If the holiday precedes your pick-up day, there will be no delay in pick-up.
- Your trash will not be picked-up during a snow emergency but Michiana Recycling will get the job done as soon as possible.
RECYCLING can be accomplished by placing recyclable materials in a clear trash bag and when full, drop it into your trash container.
Michiana Recycling’s State of the Art Material Recovery Facility can be viewed at www.michianarecyclinganddisposal.com