Administrative Regulation 15.06-1

ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:   AR: 15.06-1 DATE APPROVED: November 13, 2012
SUBJECT: Delinquent Account Write-off Policy - Utilities ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT: Water Resources

POLICY:

Citrus County Utilities operates under the Department of Water Resources (Department) as an enterprise fund thus deriving the bulk of its revenue from goods and services provided to its customer base. On occasion, a customer account may fall delinquent on payments. The Department has established policies and programs in place including the use of third-party collection companies to recover unpaid debt. 

The purpose of this administrative regulation is to establish guidelines for releasing outstanding delinquent debt on tenant, foreclosure, prior ownership, bankruptcy, and nominal account balances, when recovery is unsuccessful. 

PROCEDURE:

Upon an account falling into delinquent status, the Department shall notify the subject customer(s) and utilize the available policies and procedures to restore the account to current paying status. Should the customer be unable or unwilling to make payment, the Department shall terminate services in accordance with available policies and procedures, as established in County Code Section 102-136. 

The Department through its staff, subcontractors or retained debt recovery vendors shall continue to pursue payment as provided by law and internal policies and procedures. If upon conclusion of these actions, the delinquent debt remains unrecovered, the account, including all supporting documentation, will be transmitted to the Director for review.
 
The Department Director has authorization to sign a Release Form up to the approval levels established within AR 9.01 “Purchasing Policy”. Levels exceeding the limits within AR 9.01 shall be referred to the appropriate authority along with a recommendation from staff regarding final action. 
 
Upon review and approval of the Director, signed forms shall be returned to the Department’s Customer Service Manager for proper financial adjustment postings in the billing records and retained as required by law and internal policies and procedures. 

The Department shall submit a compilation report to the County Administrator and the Department of Management and Budget on a bi-annual basis or more frequently if requested.


FOOTNOTES & REFERENCES TO RELATED AR's: Supersedes AR 15.06 dated March 27, 2012 (LU B).