Jasper Utilities announces annual bad debt write-off

The Jasper Municipal Utility Business Office writes off a certain amount of bad debt annually.

This year the Jasper Utility Service Board approved writing off $9,847.32 out of an estimated $39,300,000 in sales for 2013. This represents about .025 percent of sales and is about $7,000 less than last year’s write-off of 16,769.59 or .044 percent of sales for 2012.

On the flip side, the Municipal Utilities Office sent out 69 letters for collection and took 43 to small claims court. Through this they collected $18,838.67. That amount included $4,429 in court costs added to the $14,409.67 in bad debt. The city has been using small claims since 2007 to collect bad debt.[hr]

After presenting and receiving approval for the bad debt write-off, Municipal Utilities Business Office Manager Ashley Kiefer read a letter from a customer to the service board.

“Normally, the correspondence we receive from our customers is usually not very nice,” Ashley stated. “So we like to celebrate the good ones that come in.”

Utilities staff,

I am sure you hear a lot of complaints about utility bills.  Well, I am not one of them. I am very happy with the rates and services from the City of Jasper. People who complain should ask people in other local towns what their rates and bills are and I think they will find Jasper’s to be some of the lowest.

Thank You,

Brenda Dietrich.