Marseilles Mayor Jim Hollenbeck wants to do more about properties that have been left abandoned in the city.
He claims that most of them are owned by banks, trusts and mortgage companies.
Hollenbeck says that the city will now make them pay until something is done.
He says that groups will pay the base rate for water which should motivate them to do something with the properties.
The minimum rate is $25.50.
This was included in the city rewriting their water and sewer ordinances at Wednesday’s meeting.