Leaders in Rocky Mount on Monday said they are looking into an issue showing residents receiving two bills for January.
Several residents wrote to WRAL about the issue, expressing that it has caused lots of confusion and frustration. Several people lined up outside the city’s Business Services Center with their bills, looking for answers.
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Dennis Sullivan was one of the people hit with a double bill.
"They did not send their people notices. They did not give us a heads-up. They did not prepare us," he said.
A spokesperson for the town confirmed that some customers may have received two statements due to an operational delay in the meter reading and billing process. They added that people aren’t being billed twice, but the second bill is from a previous month that was not sent.
"To resolve the billing delay that allowed prior usage payments to remain outstanding for over 60 days, we have adjusted our cycle to return to standard 30-day payment period from the bill date. While this correction resulted in two statements being due in the same month, this alignment was necessary to ensure the City receives timely payment for services rendered and that customers receive billing usage data with accurate due dates."
When asked which month was missed, the spokesperson said that while they are still reviewing past billings to get a definitive time frame, it appears to be an issue over the past three months for some customers
For some, being hit with those two bills at once is challenging.
“It’s tough on people out here that are working every day who got to take care of their children, got to put food on the table,” Sullivan said. “To come here, take time to find out what is wrong? They shouldn't even have to do that.”
WRAL News asked the city what caused the issue. The city did not say what caused the issue, but they apologized and acknowledged that the adjustment came at an inconvenient time.