Kenneth M. O’Brien
To begin by answering my own question, “I don’t know for sure.”
What I can do is provide you with the facts as I know them and allow you to formulate your own opinion. Perhaps those among you with even greater knowledge can do even more.
On April 19, 2011, The Southbridge Evening News published a front-page article titled. “Town releases top delinquents on water, sewer bills”.
In that article, the town manager was quoted as follows: “One of the things this year that has come to my attention was, ‘What can we do for a collection rate?’ said Town Manager Christopher Clark. ‘If we send out 4,200 bills to all of the customers in town and for every 100 bills, about 80 percent of them pay them on time. Four percent of people pay them within two weeks of it being due. It was brought to my attention and I was asked how efficient was it and how can we do better?’”
In that article, the town manager was quoted as follows: “One of the things this year that has come to my attention was, ‘What can we do for a collection rate?’ said Town Manager Christopher Clark. ‘If we send out 4,200 bills to all of the customers in town and for every 100 bills, about 80 percent of them pay them on time. Four percent of people pay them within two weeks of it being due. It was brought to my attention and I was asked how efficient was it and how can we do better?’”
Now, at first glance, this would appear to be a reasonable matter.
