APOPKA, Fla. – Changes to the way Apopka residents pay their city water bills are drawing questions from customers, with a newly visible credit-card service fee becoming the latest point of frustration in a utility system that city leaders acknowledge is still undergoing significant changes.
The City of Apopka addressed the concerns in a Facebook post Friday, explaining that its Finance Department recently moved water payments to a temporary payment system while the city prepares to launch a new permanent financial operating system in October.
Among the changes residents are noticing: customers who pay their water bills by credit card online or by phone now see an additional service fee.
But Mayor Nick Nesta told News 6 the fee itself was actually approved months ago.
According to Nesta, city commissioners approved the fee in November 2025 and it was supposed to take effect Jan. 1, 2026. Because of limitations with the city’s older software, however, he said it was not properly implemented through the online system until this month.
That gap between approval and implementation is one reason some residents are only now realizing the additional charge exists.
Why is Apopka charging the fee?
Nesta said the city had previously been absorbing card-processing costs itself.
The mayor said continuing to cover those costs with city money was not sustainable and could eventually put pressure on the city’s reserves. The new setup instead passes much of the processing cost to the customer who chooses that payment method.
Nesta estimated the current credit-card fee at approximately 1.96%, although he did not have every payment-method fee immediately available during his interview with News 6.
The city also emphasized that the temporary payment website itself did not create the fee.
Rather, the fee was previously approved and is becoming visible now as Apopka transitions away from its older financial software.
The permanent system is expected to launch in October. According to the city’s Friday post, customers should expect the appearance and experience of the payment system to change again at that time, but the credit-card fee is not expected to go away.
Nesta said the larger software overhaul is intended to improve communication and efficiency between city departments, including utility billing.
Some residents question whether modernization should cost them more
Reaction underneath the city’s Facebook post was mixed, but several residents questioned why a system described as a modernization effort would result in an additional cost for customers.
News 6 spoke with longtime Apopka resident Melanie Smith outside the city’s utility office.
Smith said she normally goes to the office to pay her bill and was unaware of the new fee before speaking with News 6.
After learning about it, she said she would consider changing how she pays rather than take on another charge.
“If I’m gonna have to pay to use my debit card, I’ll pay cash. I’m not gonna pay extra,” Smith said.
Smith said she understands that processing electronic payments can cost money, but she questioned why those costs should be passed along to customers.
Her concerns echo some of the comments posted underneath the city’s announcement.
It is important to note, however, that comments on social media do not by themselves establish a widespread billing problem. Individual claims about unusually high bills or incorrect water usage would need to be compared with customers’ actual meter readings and billing histories.
Nesta also said the city’s internal experience does not necessarily mirror the volume of criticism visible online.
He said Apopka has actually seen fewer customer complaints since newer water meters have been installed, although he acknowledged the complaints that remain are legitimate concerns that the city must address.
Nesta also acknowledged another issue: communication.
He said residents should have been told more clearly and earlier about what was changing, why it was changing and when they would begin seeing the fee.
The mayor said there have been communication breakdowns within city government and that the administration is working to prevent similar situations in the future.
He specifically acknowledged residents’ frustration over the fee not being properly explained before it began appearing.
“Residents are frustrated that it wasn’t articulated properly to them,” Nesta said.
That concern prompted the city to publicly explain the transition Friday.
The city also told residents that detailed water-usage information is still available through individual customer portals, even though it may no longer appear in the same place customers were accustomed to seeing it while making a payment.
Officials say that experience should improve once the permanent system goes live.
Questions go beyond the payment fee
The discussion online also exposed a broader issue facing Apopka: some residents continue to question whether their water bills accurately reflect their actual usage.
Several commenters on the city’s Facebook post described bills or water-usage totals they believe are unusually high.
Nesta said the city is still trying to determine why some customers are experiencing large swings.
He said the causes can vary and could include software problems, older meters or equipment that previously was not transmitting readings correctly. In some situations, he said a newer or properly functioning meter could begin producing a more accurate reading than what a customer had been receiving before.
Nesta said the city is working to determine what the underlying data shows before drawing conclusions.
His stated goal is straightforward:
“It’s pretty simple, just charging people for what they’re using,” Nesta said. “Not more, not less.”
The mayor said Apopka is dealing with a combination of aging systems, malfunctioning equipment and meter antennas that do not always transmit information properly.
He said the city’s strategic goal is to get as close as possible to having 100% functioning water meters, although maintaining tens of thousands of meters makes that an ongoing challenge.
Nesta says he understands the billing concerns personally
Nesta told News 6 the issue is not abstract for him.
The mayor said he has looked at water bills for his own property that did not always appear to track with what he expected his normal usage to be.
“I am with the residents that living here, getting the same water bills that maybe don’t add up to my current usage,” Nesta said.
He said determining why customers experience those swings is one of his priorities.
Nesta also pointed to approximately $365,000 in water rebates he said were recently returned to residents after concerns involving charges that were not properly explained.
At the same time, he cautioned that the city has seen improvement since installing newer meters and said the overall number of complaints has fallen.
That leaves Apopka dealing with two issues at once: modernizing an aging utility-billing operation while convincing customers that the numbers appearing on their bills can be trusted.
What happens next?
For now, residents should expect the current payment system to remain temporary.
Another transition is expected in October when Apopka launches its permanent financial operating system. The city says that system is designed to provide a more modern and user-friendly experience, although the credit-card processing fee is expected to remain.
The larger question for city leaders will be whether the new technology can also resolve the billing and meter concerns some residents continue to raise.
Nesta told News 6 the standard he wants the city to follow is simple: Apopka should be able to explain and support what it charges customers.
And if it cannot, he said the city should make it right.
“If I can’t justify it, we’re not gonna charge it. We’re gonna pay it back.”