State Auditor: Something "Flawed" With Spencer Utility Billing

Neighbors in Spencer says there's something in the water, or at least the way the city is billing for it.

Monday, April 7th 2014, 5:23 pm

By: Karl Torp


Neighbors in Spencer says there's something in the water, or at least the way the city is billing for it.

They claim the proof is in their wildly high utility bills. Mischelle McDonald says her bills have added up to more than $1,000 for one month. Her last bill was more than $800.

"I was told the water utility was going to be investigated. They were going to give me credits and make adjustments, but they never did that," says McDonald.

McDonald took her bill and complaints to Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector Gary Jones.

"It didn't make any sense at all," says Jones, who received McDonald's billing history from Spencer.

McDonald's bill history shows dozens and dozens of small fees being charged on a single day. In some cases, it amounted to more than a $100 in late fees a day according to Jones.

Jones says it appears there is a "flaw" in the billing system and it's not just isolated to one case. He encourages the City of Spencer to figure out what's wrong. The City of Spencer did not respond to our repeated requests for an interview about the utility billing process.

McDonald hopes other Spencer residents take a look at what's happened to her and take a closer look at their utility bills. In the meantime, she just paid $700 to get her water turned back on.

In October of 2013, three Spencer city employees were charged with embezzling city funds.

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