The City of Penticton electrical billings have been read and billed incorrectly for the past seven months. The council motion to reduce deferred billing days to 20 days has not been adhered to by city staff.
Could you please explain to the Penticton utility users how you intend to correct the errors? In my case, I have been under billed by 20 days (it just keeps climbing – four additional days this month) of electrical consumption if you count the days between April 10, 2014 and Nov. 10, 2014? My electrical meter was last read on Oct. 21, 2014, and it should have been read within a couple of days of Nov. 10, 2014.
Firstly, can the mayor explain to the Penticton utility users as to your plans to once again reduce the deferred billing days from 40 days to 20 days (second time in the past year) or are you going to simply amend the previous motion and increase the allowable deferred billing days back to 40 days. Will council spread the recovery of the error over 10 months (two days per month) for utility users that are not flush with cash? Secondly, how is it possible for this billing error to go unnoticed by council and bureaucrats for a period of seven months?
Thirdly, did council of the day have any understanding of the motion that they voted on previously?
And fourthly, what internal steps has council taken to insure that once this billing error is corrected that it does not reoccur in the near future?
Once you answer the above question we will know if council (election promises) understands the meaning of accountability, transparency, honesty and openness in coming to grips with these recurring billing errors. Or, will council simply go into hiding once again and ignore all of the election promises?
Ted Wiltse
Penticton