Council seeks quick briefing on water-billing control failures after auditors flag utility revenue problems

The city's single audit identified a material weakness tied to inconsistent and untimely water and wastewater billing that prevented accurate utility revenue recognition. Council members pressed finance officials and auditors Sept. 17 for specifics and a rapid follow-up from the Department of Public Works.

Bill Seymour, the SB and Company engagement partner, listed water billing among recurring material weaknesses. "We had material weakness over financial reporting, water billing, grants accounting, fixed assets, and information technology," Seymour said.

Deputy Finance staff described steps the Department of Public Works had taken: in June 2024, DPW upgraded the water-billing system to a new RouteSmart software and, by May 2025, revamped the staff training curriculum and launched a six-month rotational program to improve cross-functional skills. Deputy director Ioana Mosidis (presenting as deputy director of finance) said DPW's changes optimized billing cycles and improved on-time issuance to roughly 98 percent of bills and that stakeholders meet monthly to track overdue accounts and prioritize write-offs versus collections.

Council member Antonio Glover asked whether the city currently "is now making full use of the new software to manage the water and wastewater billing?" Finance officials said they would consult DPW and the deputy mayor and return a written report on the questions within seven business days. The administration agreed to coordinate with DPW on a one- to two-page written follow-up that will address (at minimum) whether DPW is fully using the new software, whether the city can now fully account for water and wastewater billings, and an estimate of cost impact for errors in recent years.

Auditors and finance staff cautioned that reconciling billing systems to accounting ledgers can show timing and mapping issues that require technical fixes, training and cross-agency coordination; some of those fixes are already under way but may require additional testing and documentation before auditors can remove related findings from future reports.