Unlike three other governmental agencies, the Stokes Mountain Rescue Squad is refusing to pay for being underbilled at gasoline pumps operated by the city of King.

Rescue-squad officials say that a computer mistake is to blame for the $35,000 shortfall incurred by drivers who work for the rescue squad, Stokes County, Rural Hall, the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles and Adult Daycare services.

"I would like the city of King to get restitution from the software company involved, not the agencies," said Larry Snyder, the chairman of the rescue squad.

The rescue squad received a bill for $5,100. The other agencies have worked out payment plans for their shares of the underbilling. City-owned vehicles are not billed for using the pumps.

King officials learned in February that the city had been undercharging agencies for three years.

"We switched accounting methods in that fund a year ago," City Manager Lane Bailey said. "We saw that we were coming up short on money. It was exactly half."

Agencies that fueled up at the gas station behind the police department were being charged for half the gallons they pumped, he said.

King officials traced the beginning of the problem to March 1999. A city employee at that time was able get the pumps to work when others couldn't.

From that point on, however, the pumps started charging for half. The employee no longer works for the city, officials said.

The rescue squad was turned away from the station Tuesday, Snyder said. Its drivers are using commercial stations.

"We think out of courtesy that the city should apologize and let us use the pumps," Snyder said.

City officials said that they tried to discuss a payment plan with the rescue squad but have made no progress.

The rescue squad will not be allowed to use the gas station until the bill is paid or payment arrangements are made, Bailey said.

Journal Now

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