Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water And Audit topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mount Olive meeting spotlights water‑billing audit findings and ongoing utility repairs
Summary
A resident cited an Office of the State Auditor finding of $210,000 in lost revenues related to town water accounts; town officials said airport claims were unsubstantiated but water‑department claims remain under investigation while repairs to filters and wells proceed.
A public commenter at the Town of Mount Olive’s Oct. 6 regular board meeting said an Office of the State Auditor report found $210,000 in lost water‑department revenues and alleged that two employees and one commissioner had months of unpaid water bills. The commenter, Brent Heath, told the board the situation undermines trust and urged equal treatment: “It seems the ones who play by the rules are now expected to make up the difference.”
Interim Town Manager Glenn Holland told the board the town is working through the auditor’s recommendations. He said airport‑related claims were found to be unsubstantiated, outstanding airport fuel invoices were collected, the fuel account closed and Bass Aviation now pays airport utilities, but that “claims regarding the Water Department are still under investigation.”
Holland also reported operational steps to address water quality: TRC Companies certified a new filter at the Boling Plant and the filter will be put in service after disinfection; the pump at a Boling well shows signs of pumping gravel and will need to be pulled for inspection and repair. Holland estimated the inspection work will cost approximately $8,000–$10,000 and asked residents still experiencing discolored water to contact the town office.
Board members and staff discussed the town’s finance arrangements in public remarks. Commissioner Danny Keel asked whether Holland was acting as finance director in addition to interim town manager; Holland said the North Carolina League of Municipalities advised this approach as a way to expedite check‑writing and that a deputy finance director is performing statutory duties. Town Attorney Carroll Turner said that arrangement is legally permissible in many small communities.
The town also reported wastewater collection and treatment projects are significantly over budget; Holland said initial estimates for collection and treatment improvements came in about $4 million over budget and that McGill Associates engineer David Honeycutt will review options. A separate electrical/control issue — a bad wire to spray fields 1–4 — was discovered and is being repaired.
The board did not take final action on the audit or on changes to finance roles during the meeting; officials said investigations and engineering reviews are ongoing and will return to the board as needed.
