CENTERTOWN, MO -- It had been months since residents of Centertown, just west of Jefferson City, got a water bill. But once the water bill arrived in the mail, it was a whopper.
A Centertown board member, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the mix up goes back to October when the city clerk was fired. When the clerk returned the town's laptop, information about water readings was missing.
It has taken months to get the bills out again.
Resident and mother Wendy Walker said getting that bill for five months worth of water was a shock she didn't need.
"That's a lot of money,” Walker said. “Especially having five kids, $133.00 is a huge thing for us anymore. Not just for us, for anybody with kids or is going through the economic trouble right now."
Walker said this February bill was the only thing she'd heard from the Water Works Department since her October bill.
"If something happened from the beginning why weren't we informed from the city?” Walker said. “Why didn't they inform us of what would happen? Not just out of the blue get a bill for five months?"
Even more frustrating, the new bill is due in less than two weeks.
"If it took them five months to get us a bill how are we supposed to pay them back in a month when it took them five months to get it here?" Walker said.
But the board member said that the city won't enforce the late fee and the village will work with residents if they need to set up a payment plan.
Walker was glad to hear that, but still has more questions than answers about the future.
"How are we going to be assured this isn't going to happen again next month?" Walker said.
Calls made to the Centertown City office Monday were not returned.
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