Indian River Shores officials say staff will press Republic Services after resident billing complaints

Councilors in the Town of Indian River Shores raised repeated resident complaints about automated collection calls from Republic Services, and staff said it will step up follow-up with the company and assist affected residents.

Vice Mayor Atwater described two recent incidents in which residents received automated calls claiming they were delinquent on Republic Services bills and reported that Republic's customer-service systems did not stop the calls when asked. Atwater said she was concerned such calls could trigger credit-reporting actions and said the town should consider legal steps if residents suffer credit damage.

Town staff said they have contacted Republic Services on behalf of affected residents and will continue doing so. The town manager noted that staff have been in direct contact on every reported occasion and will follow up; the town attorney and staff agreed to prepare communications to the company. The town indicated it will prepare a letter and aim to send it by the end of the week.

No formal vote was taken; councilors directed staff to continue outreach with Republic Services, to assist affected residents and to consult with the town attorney about potential legal remedies if credit reporting errors occur.

Council members emphasized that resolving billing errors is not the responsibility of town taxpayers and suggested the possibility of back-charging Republic Services for staff time if necessary. Staff said they would continue direct contact and escalate with the company as needed.

Several councilors thanked staff for their help and asked that the town continue to track and document incidents so that any necessary formal action can be taken.