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Title: A glitch, a gun: Covington utility mixup escalating Residents, packing a council meeting, accuse the city of overcharging.

Chandler Brown - Staff -- AJC Friday, June 9, 2000

Anger stemming from a computer glitch in Covington's utility billing system has led to dozens of calls to City Hall, a packed City Council meeting and, now, gunfire.

After Newton County Commissioner J.C. Henderson's home was shot at Tuesday, his family received a call from a man threatening to burn the house down if Covington doesn't change the way it bills customers, Henderson said.

The County Commission is not involved in the billing dispute, but Henderson is a meter reader with the city.

"For my home to get shot at when I don't even have anything to do with it --- it's really frightening," said Henderson, who took two days off work to comfort his shaken family. "I have to pay a light bill, too."

Covington supplies water, electricity, gas and sewer services to about 10,000 city residents. In January, utility bills didn't go out because of a computer software failure. The city charged customers for two months of service in February and then switched temporarily to three-week billing cycles to get the program, which relies on 12 mailings per year, back on track.

More than 200 residents packed a City Council meeting Monday night to complain. City Manager Frank Turner said protesters accused the city of using the computer glitch to overcharge them.

"Some of these people really thought they weren't going to be charged," Turner said. "Of course they'll have to pay, but we're willing to work with them."

The weeks of public outcry turned frighteningly personal Tuesday. About 7:30 that evening, Henderson was at a County Commission meeting, said his wife, Sandy, when she heard gunshots coming from the street in front of their home. The Hendersons' five young children were playing in the back yard of the three-bedroom ranch when the shots were fired.

A family friend told police he saw three men in a green Cutlass drive by the Henderson's home. One man leaned out the window and fired three shots, a police report filed the next day said. Police said the house was not hit.

An hour after the shooting, the Hendersons' phone rang.

"Tell J.C. if he thinks that was bad, now I'm going to burn the house down 'cause he knows why these light bills are so high," Sandy Henderson recounted the caller as saying.

She said some have suggested that her husband and other city employees were misreading meters to overcharge customers.

Covington police, who have made no arrests in the incidents, say they have increased patrols in the Hendersons' neighborhood. "We're going to do all we can to make sure they're safe in their home," said Maj. Willie Davis.

Residents Thursday said the whole situation has spun out of control.

"This is getting ridiculous. I can't believe it's come to this," said Thelma Starr, who spoke at the Monday council meeting.

"People are always going to be upset about money," said Vivian Cowan, who's lived in Covington for 27 years. "But, my God, it's not worth killing anybody."

http://www.accessatlanta.com/partners/ajc/epaper/editions/today/local_news_9304b886e52221780019.html

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-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), June 09, 2000