Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Finance And Administration topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Finance director reports November finances and addresses utility double‑charge issue; about 50 accounts affected, refunds issued
Summary
Finance staff presented November 2024 financials and described a billing error causing duplicate withdrawals on about 50 accounts; the department mailed 5,000 notification letters and issued more than 20 refund checks so far.
Jean, the city finance director, presented the November 2024 financial report and addressed a recent utility billing problem that resulted in duplicate withdrawals for a small share of customers.
On the financials, Jean said the general fund had collected approximately $13,502,485 (about 49% of budget through November) and noted collection and expenditure percentages across funds including water, sewer and sanitation (values were presented in tables during the briefing). She said the utility enterprise funds are being examined and a rate study is underway; the city is monitoring enterprise fund balances and planning a rate‑study presentation in coming weeks.
Jean also described a billing issue that affected roughly 0.3–0.35% of accounts (approximately 50–55 customers): a third‑party billing processor and the bank pulled some automatic withdrawals twice for a subset of customers who pay by ACH. The city discovered the second pull only after customers reported it. Staff said they have issued about 20–25 refund checks so far, are reviewing account histories case‑by‑case and will continue working individually with affected customers.
To notify the public, the finance office mailed more than 5,000 letters (cost about $35,100) in December and said any affected accounts would not be shut off. Council members raised related concerns: delinquent sewer‑only accounts total about 133 accounts with roughly $365,000 owed to the city; staff said many delinquent accounts have since entered payment arrangements and legal remedies are being pursued for larger commercial delinquencies.
Why it matters: The billing error affected a small percentage of customers but caused significant community attention; the finance office described remediation steps, refunds, outreach and a longer‑term rate study to address enterprise fund sustainability.
