ATLANATA - Computer Glitch Pays Employees Twice

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Title: Cha-ching! Glitch makes workers rich

Julie B. Hairston - Staff

Thursday, March 30, 2000

It's been a particularly happy new year for some city of Atlanta employees.

The employees, mostly civilian workers in the police department, were paid twice because of a new computer system.

In all, the city's payroll system sent out about $67,000 in money that it didn't owe, thanks to the brand new computer system that controls the city's check writing.

About 45 current city employees got paid twice. And a handful of city retirees received about $6,500, as if they were still on the City Hall payroll, in addition to their pension checks.

The previous payroll system, said acting Chief Financial Officer Judith Blackwell, issued paychecks only when asked to do so. The new system, activated in November as part of Atlanta's Y2K compliance effort, issues checks until told to stop, she said.

Apparently, for some employees in the past four months, nobody said stop.

City officials say the problem is fixed and should not happen again. Now, the city's finance department must recover the money it didn't mean to pay.

Deputy CFO Dominic Ochei told members of the City Council's finance committee that city officials plan to work with the recipients of the unexpected largesse, many of whom wasted no time in putting the extra money to use. About $57,000 is yet to be repaid, Ochei said.

Ochei said the city would devise an installment plan with individuals for repay- ment.

Meanwhile, Blackwell said work is continuing on the new payroll system to avoid any future problems.

"It requires some program adjustments," she said. "It needs a lot of program adjustments."

City council members were not amused.

"This should have been taken care of by now," said Councilwoman Cathy Woolard.

http://www.accessatlanta.com/partners/ajc/epaper/editions/today/news_833e30a4d675514100ed.html

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-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), March 30, 2000

Answers

Correction on typo in title...should be 'Atlanta'

-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), March 30, 2000.

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