FAQ

The Finance Department is responsible for the administration, direction, and coordination of all financial services of the City involving financial planning, budgeting, treasury management, investments, purchasing, accounting, payroll, business licensing, insurance, and utility customer services.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Utility Questions • Vendor Payment Questions • Purchasing Questions •

If you do not find the answers you are looking for on this page please email your questions to appropriate address.

Utility billing questions can also be directed to Utility Customer Services by phone by calling (573) 874-7380.

Utility Account Questions:

1. Can I get my water and electricity turned on during the weekend?

No. We no longer do any new service connections after hours or weekends.

2. Can I get my water or electricity turned off during the weekend?

No, these require one day’s notice. If you contact our office on Friday, the utilities will not be disconnected until the following Monday.

3. How many days do I have to pay my utility bill?

Your utility bill is due 20 days from the billing date. If your bill is not paid within this 20 day grace period, your account will be charged 1.5% of the delinquent balance.

4. When are past due notices sent out?

If you have not paid within 23 days from the billing date, a past due notice will be mailed to you. You then have 5 working days to pay before you are subject to being disconnected.

5. What are the fees for disconnection?

If a customer's delinquent account is on the shut-off list, the following charges apply:

$15 trip fee
$15 for the re-connection trip fee.
$15 for after hours connections trip fee.

6. What should I do if I think my utility bill is too high?

Contact a Customer Service Representative at (573) 874-7380
If the water usage is significantly higher than the average, the Customer Service Representative will send a check for leak request to the Water Department. If a leak has occurred, the customer can request their bill be adjusted. Your account will be credited for one half of the amount over your average usage.

If there is a question about electricity usage, the meter will be re-read. You will then be referred to the Energy Audit Dept.

Purchasing Questions:

1. Where can I find information about what bids the City is currently seeking?

All formal sealed bids (>$15,000) handled by the Purchasing Division are advertised on Sundays in the Classified section of the Columbia Missourian. Notices are also posted in the lobby of the Daniel Boone Building at 701 East Broadway, or you can find this information online.

2. How does a vendor get on the City's list of bidders?

Prospective bidders can pick up a Bidder Application Form at the Purchasing office located at 800 Cherry Street - Lower Level, Columbia, or register online to receive e-mail bid notifications.

Vendor Payment Questions:

1. What determines the payment terms for an invoice?

The terms set on the purchase order. Accounts Payable will not override the terms on a purchase order without consulting first with our Purchasing department.

2. Will the City pay from statements?

Rarely. Payment will only be processed from a statement in those instances where a vendor does not issue invoices and the statement has a detailed description of the charges.

3. Why do invoices need to be mailed directly to the Accounts Payable department in addition to a priced packing slip or invoice copy to the City order location?

The City's Centralized Accounts Payable department processes payment for all 14 City divisions which are located throughout the City. It is difficult and time consuming to shuffle paper between the various locations.

The order location enters an on-line approval for the goods received, and retains the paperwork as back up documentation. When the Accounts Payable department receives the invoice, it is entered on-line and matched with the order location's approval to pay according to the set terms.