Duncan citizens: You all know by now that I believe in open, transparent government, so I want to take a few minutes to address the questions regarding individual utility bills.
I hear our citizens’ concerns regarding the installation of our city’s new smart meters, which will allow for more consistent, accurate billing over time.
Our previous meters dated back to 2007. Those meters were rated by their manufacturer for accurate use for 10 years but had been used well beyond their recommended product life, due to the City’s planned replacement of those meters being halted by Covid and the global supply chain issues that occurred.
Because the meters were not replaced as intended in 2020, they ran slowly, unable to accurately measure 100% of the water that flowed through the meter.
The new meters, which are rated for a 20-year lifespan, can accurately measure every drop.
That said, if you feel your bill is higher than it should be, our city team is more than happy to review your bills and usage. Using the new meters, we can help you see times when your usage is higher, and we can make recommendations to help you reduce your usage. You can reach customer service at (580) 252-0250 or by email at custsvc@duncanok. gov. You can also reach out to me at rarmstrong@duncanok.gov, and I will work with our team to help you get answers about your bill.
So far, of the bills that have been brought to my attention and submitted for review recently, the vast majority have been accurate, and we have quickly corrected those that were not.
Council and I are here to help you get answers and have worked diligently to do just that for quite some time, so don't hesitate to reach out to us.
I have also offered complete access and transparency to other elected officials, state officials, the state auditor, District Attorney Jason Hicks, the attorney general’s office, and the OSBI.
We will continue to offer complete access and transparency. The city attorney and staff have interacted with and assisted the AG’s office multiple times on complaints they have received over the last year.
We will continue to be completely transparent and open as concerns arise.
We want you to have full confidence in the billing process; to that end, I have requested an independent audit. We are engaging Crawford & Associates for this purpose and will allow them full access to perform a random audit of our accounts. The results of that audit will be released to the public when their work is complete.
In the meantime, please know that the City of Duncan team’s goal is to get this right; we are here to serve our community, and I would ask for your patience and kindness, particularly for those individuals working day in and day out, to ensure accurate billing and to recoup the utility payments that are necessary to make sure we all have access to water and electric service.
I will provide more information as it becomes available.
I look forward to working with you on this and future initiatives in support of a Duncan for all. Sincerely, Mayor Robert Armstrong