Here's a story of a hero who chose to remain anonymous and helped a senior by paying an exorbitant water bill that didn't make sense. Yet, the city of Santa Fe cut off his water and didn't investigate for a leaky pipe. Hopefully, they do now. Here's the story of the hero.
(Photo: Spencer Snyder cleans a bathroom after shaving Thursday, the day after his water was restored after being shut off for two months. He's grateful for the anonymous benefactor who paid his disputed water bill but said he's left with a "terrible mess of a house." . Jim Weber/The New Mexican)
Anonymous donor clears Santa Fe man's water bill, ends dispute with city
By Margaret O’Hara mohara@sfnewmexican.com Jun 8, 2023
A man approached Spencer Snyder at the gym Thursday morning and asked whether the city water service at his home had been restored.
Snyder happily reported the good news: Yes, he has running water again. He also has no balance due on his city account, thanks to an anonymous donor who paid his bill.
Snyder, 82, lived without water at his Santa Fe home throughout April and May, after racking up more than $5,000 in unpaid bills from the city’s Utility Billing Division. While he maintained he wasn’t the cause of that water usage, city officials insisted their records of his water consumption were accurate.
The Utility Billing Division waived fees and a month’s worth of water. Still, Snyder was left with a nearly $4,000 bill with a looming deadline of June 19 to pay, documents show. He contemplated selling artwork or even his house to cover the steep sum.
On June 2, however, the day The New Mexican chronicled Snyder’s water dispute, an anonymous donor paid his water bill in full, Snyder said.
Kristine Bustos-Mihelcic, a spokesperson for the city, confirmed in a message the account was paid.
From a stranger checking in at the gym to a close friend offering a $1,000 check, people have come together to support him, Snyder said.
“One of the positive things that came out of this dreadful experience — and it was dreadful — is that all of these lovely people were interested in helping me,” he said.
“I am moved by other people’s compassion,” he added.
Even though the bill is paid, Snyder — who said he didn’t learn of the bill being paid or his water being turned back on until Wednesday — has more to do to recover from the two months he lived without water.
There’s the cleanup, of course. Snyder said he has a “terrible mess of a house” on his hands, including a kitchen floor and bathtub that haven’t been deep-cleaned for a long time. Piles of dirty dishes remain on his kitchen counters.
It will take a while to recover from the depression and isolation the water issues brought on.
“This is one very bad thing: It really has affected my sense of well-being and my confidence. [I’m] suddenly really feeling my age,” he said.
One of his first actions after learning he had water again was booking a July trip to Boone, N.C., for a wellness retreat, part of his regular spiritual and mental health practice.
Amid the water and financial issues, Snyder had canceled a visit to California with the same purpose, opting to save the money and stay close to home, instead. Though he’s not sure he’ll be up to traveling to Boone, it may be a chance to build his confidence again.
There is one big factor of the situation that, from Snyder’s perspective, remains unsolved: What was the problem? Why was he charged for water he claims he didn’t use?
To city officials, there’s a straightforward answer: The water was used on Snyder’s property. City staff even examined Snyder’s meter to ensure it was working properly and double-checked Snyder’s billing numbers, Bustos-Mihelcic said in a prior interview with The New Mexican.
But Snyder remains concerned something else — something unrelated to a jump in water usage — triggered the sky-high water bills.
“I’m totally grateful. I mean, this was a terrible experience for me and a lot of money and something I felt was unjust in the first place,” Snyder said. “But it was never examined, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be.”
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