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Town suspends late fees after billing vendor closure; manager says May bills likely not mailed
Summary
Batesburg‑Leesville staff told council the third‑party billing vendor unexpectedly went out of business and May water bills likely were not mailed. The town will suspend late penalties and shutoffs for May while staff works on notification and alternate billing arrangements; the assistant town manager resigned effective immediately.
Town manager Hendricks told the Batesburg‑Leesville Town Council on May 12 that the town’s third‑party utility billing vendor went out of business with little or no advance notice, and he does not expect May water bills to be mailed.
"Unless some miraculous thing happens tomorrow I don't anticipate any water bills going out for May," Hendricks said. He said the town will not assess late penalties or perform cutoffs for May and that staff will work on a plan for June billing while seeking a replacement or workaround.
Hendricks described outreach challenges for roughly 3,000 customers, noting that approximately 12–15% use express bill pay (which was not impacted) and that many customers lack reliable internet access or current phone numbers. Council members suggested using the town phone system, door notices, churches, the local newspaper and direct contact with large commercial accounts to reach those most affected.
Council discussed options to reach particularly large customers and fiduciary payors who receive bills on behalf of residents. Hendricks acknowledged the town lacks an in‑house mass‑mailing capability after office moves more than a decade ago and that the vendor responsible for bulk mailings is the one that went out of business.
Separately in the same report, Hendricks announced that the recently hired assistant town manager resigned effective the following day; he will return to town hall to turn in items, the manager said. Council members expressed surprise at the sudden resignation.
Staff said they will inform the public via the town’s phone system, website/Facebook postings and direct outreach as customers call; staff also said they would coordinate with local partners and the regional paper for broader notice. Customers may obtain account balances in person or by phone using account numbers or addresses while the billing issue is resolved.
Next steps include staff preparing a plan for June billing, contacting large commercial customers directly, seeking a replacement billing vendor or alternative method, and keeping council and the public updated.
