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Rolfe council discusses auditor recommendations and signals need to raise utility rates
Summary
Council members and the treasurer said the Auditor recommended presenting utility billing corrections monthly, and city officials warned that utility rates will need to increase to move proprietary funds out of the red; a budget workshop was scheduled for Jan. 6, 2026.
During the Dec. 8 meeting Treasurer Sindergard and the Auditor recommended the council receive utility billing corrections at monthly meetings to improve financial transparency and accuracy.
Clerk Brandi Henderson presented two billing corrections and a customer request for a refund of a delinquent charge; the council acknowledged the corrections and denied the refund (motion by Pratt; second by Cox). Sindergard told the council utility rates will need to increase to help the proprietary fund balance recover from negative position, echoing the Auditor’s recommendation.
Council members voted to research collection-agency options and entered into a contract with Municipal Collections of America to pursue outstanding receivables, a step cited by council members as part of restoring those proprietary balances.
The council scheduled a budget workshop for Jan. 6, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. to begin work on rate and budget decisions. No specific rate changes were adopted at the Dec. 8 meeting.
