FLINT, MI -- The Flint City Council said it may attempt to subpoena state officials, including the governor, to answer questions about the discontinuation of water credits for city residents -- a move one councilwoman called "war."

Flint City Council members, public officials and residents spoke out Monday, Feb. 13, against a recent move by Gov. Rick Snyder's office to end the city's water bill credits, saying the decision was unfair to the Flint community.

"Gov. Snyder wants these people to pay for water that they feel is not safe to drink," said Councilwoman Jackie Poplar. "This is war. This is war ... there is money to cover these bills."

Poplar and other council members voted unanimously Monday night to send a letter to Snyder's office asking it to come in front of the council and answer questions about the decision to discontinue the credits.

If they don't respond to the letter, the council said it would explore its subpoena powers.

"This is a premature discontinuation of credits," said Councilman Eric Mays, who asked the city council to request Snyder meet with the council and the public over the water crisis and state's decision to cut water relief credits.

Snyder's office could not immediately be reached for comment.

Flint received a Feb. 7 letter from Richard Baird, Snyder's senior adviser, stating the state will no longer provide credits or pay the city's $1.2 million monthly water bill to the Great Lakes Water Authority.

City officials said they thought they had at least until March 31 before state water bill credits would be cut.

"The credit will show up on the March bill. But, however, that is one month early," Sabuda said of the state's cutoff. "We are disappointed. We were hopeful that the program would go through March. We were disappointed to learn that the program would not go through March now we have to go from there."

According to the letter, funding was cut after findings from November 2016 sentinel site water testing showed Flint's water had a 90

th

percentile value of 8 ppb of lead -- lower than the 15 ppb federal action limit.

Despite the improvements, city residents are still being advised not to drink the water unless it has been properly filtered.

"The same people who said the water was safe to drink back when we switched to the river are the same people that are saying your water is safe to drink now with a filter," said Councilman Scott Kincaid. "And the state challenged the city to do a 70 percent collection rate and they will continue this credit. We achieved that and now they are cutting us off early. So, again they lied to us."

Flint pushed for nearly four months to have a 70 percent collection rate on water bills to meet the state's demands to keep the credits, which included shutoff notices and residents who faced evictions after landlords failed to pay water bills.

March bills will be the last to include the state water relief credits of 20 percent of commercial accounts and 65 percent for residential water customers. So far, city officials said more than $40.4 million in water relief credits have been applied to Flint water customer accounts.

"This is just compounded stress, compounded frustration," said Councilman Wantwaz Davis. "I say this because my family is affected by this too, and this game has been going on way too long. This is a sad day for the city of Flint."

City officials said in a Feb. 13 morning press conference that the city would continue to press customers for outstanding water bills despite the loss of water bill credits from the state. Flint customers pay an average of $140 per month for water and sewage cost, which a 2016 study showed is the highest in the county.

"I don't want to pay for something that's better," said Councilman Herbert Winfrey. "I want to pay for something that's worth paying for ... In reality they're not doing us any favors. They have been posturing ... trying to look like they are fixing a problem that they created. We are not asking for anything we don't deserve."

It was announced it September 2015 that some children in Flint had elevated blood lead levels after the city switched from the Detroit water system to using the Flint River as its water source.

"A lot of people don't want to pay for this poisoned water and others feel like they (have to pay)," said Flint resident and community activist, Lisia Williams. "I'm not paying for this poisoned water ... We are going to continue fight. We are going to fight for as long as we can. If we have to shut the streets down ... we're sick and tired of the sit down meetings and no action."