EASTON, Pa. — If you've received a letter in the mail from the City of Easton this week regarding missed utility payments, it's legitimate, officials said.
An internal audit recently uncovered a billing error affecting a number of city utility customers, according to Finance Director Mark Lysynecky.
Those customers now are being asked to enroll in interest-free payment plans so the city can recover more than $35,000 in unpaid bills, Lysynecky confirmed Wednesday.
Lysynecky said the city manages more than 9,000 utility accounts each month for sewer, trash and stormwater services.
During a recent review, officials identified 96 accounts — about 1% of the city’s customer base — with inaccurate or incomplete automatic payment information, resulting in $35,800 in unpaid bills.
How the error occurred
“Due to a synchronization error between our billing partner and financial institution, the City was not immediately alerted that these specific payments had failed to process,” Lysynecky said.
Because the failed transactions were not flagged right away, balances accumulated on the affected accounts even though customers believed their payments were being drafted automatically.
Once the issue was discovered, the city moved quickly to stop further errors, Lysynecky said.
“Upon discovery, we immediately suspended ACH drafts for affected accounts to prevent further issues and developed a structured resolution,” he said.
"Upon discovery, we immediately suspended ACH drafts for affected accounts to prevent further issues."Easton finance director Mark Lysynecky
Each affected customer has since been notified by mail and also provided with a detailed account statement outlining the unpaid balance due.
The letters are legitimate despite being addressed to a “utility customer” rather than using the customer’s name.
At least one affected customer shared their letter on Facebook, with dozens of comments stating it likely was a scam.
The city assures customers that it's not.
The account statement each customer received also included identifying information, including their name and address, service location and account number.
Lysynecky provided a screenshot to LehighValleyNews.com of what the statements looked like. They include a payment plan schedule and amount due each month to bring the account payments current.
Interest-free payment plans
Lysynecky said the formal repayment offer is aimed at easing the burden caused by the technical issue.
“To mitigate the inconvenience caused by this technical error, the city is providing interest-free payment plans, as needed,” Lysynecky said.
“No penalties or interest have been — or will be — applied to these balances, provided customers adhere to the plan terms.”
"No penalties or interest have been—or will be—applied to these balances."Easton finance director Mark Lysynecky
City officials emphasized the issue was limited in scope and does not affect the vast majority of utility customers.
Residents with questions about their accounts or repayment options are encouraged to contact the city.
City Councilman Frank Pintabone said he expects the issue will be brought up at the next council meeting “just as an update,” and said the administration worked to address the issue as soon as it was discovered.
