Tulsa will implement a temporary utility grace period until the end of January, officials from the City of Tulsa and the Tulsa Metropolitan Utility Authority announced Thursday.
Tulsans who are furloughed employees or participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and are struggling to pay bills due to the shutdown won't lose water service. Qualifying Utility Billing Services customers will have extra time to make payments without interruption to their service.
In a press release, Tulsa City Mayor Monroe Nichols said that although the city can't fix things federally, it can ensure people are looked after locally.
"We know many Tulsans are caught in the middle of something they didn't cause," Nichols said. "People who work hard, serve their country, and care for their families shouldn't have to worry about losing water because their paycheck or benefits are delayed."
The federal shutdown has created uncertainty in SNAP funding, and federal employees across the country are furloughed or working without pay.
Tulsa County's overall food insecurity rate was 16.7% in 2023, according to data from Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap.
City officials say bills are not being waived, but disconnections will be paused, and they will work with customers on payment plans once incomes or benefits resume. Additional penalties or service interruptions will stop during the shutdown.
Furloughed employees must present their personalized furlough letter, and SNAP shoppers will need to show their benefits letter. More information on the requirements can be found on the City of Tulsa's website.
This comes as Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt told CNN his city is working on a similar program for people feeling the impact of the shutdown. He told the cable news channel the city will be stopping utility cutoffs.
He said the lapse of SNAP benefits is impacting everything from the nonprofit sector and sales to businesses, as well as city and state budgets.
Holt is president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which has called on Congress to restore food assistance funding and reopen the federal shutdown.
"I mean, we may be able to fade the heat here for a few more days, but this is going to cause significant impacts across the country and in people's lives if this goes on for weeks," Holt told CNN.
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