Council hires Water Company of America to audit utility billing; firm paid from recovered revenue

Jacksonville — The City Council approved a contract with Water Company of America to perform an audit and on-site review of the city’s utility billing system to identify unbilled or misbilled accounts.

Finance director Roxanne Riley and staff outlined the scope: meter inspections, software and billing-system review, and identification of discrepancies such as wrong meter size or rate-code errors. The vendor proposed a revenue-share model: 50% of newly recovered revenue for a payback period. Staff said the primary active review term is 36 months, followed by a secondary payback period that can extend the vendor’s compensation timeline depending on when issues are found.

Council members asked about retroactive collections and mechanics of payment. Staff clarified the program would correct billing going forward rather than attempt widespread retroactive recovery for multiple prior years; any collections would be handled per the contract’s terms and the council’s direction. "If they find it on day 1, then the 48 month starts right then," a council speaker explained of the contract’s timing provisions.

After discussion about term length and collection mechanics — including an option to accept estimated prepayment for identified revenues or wait for cash-collected amounts — the council voted to approve the contract. Staff said if no discrepancies are found, the city would not owe payment; the vendor only receives compensation on discovered, collected revenue under the chosen payment arrangement.

The council asked staff to confirm final contract language and reporting requirements, and to return if a shorter primary term were needed.