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City computer glitch prompts refunds
By RYAN MALDONADO SOUTH PASADENA -- After discovering they had overcharged 15 local retailers last year because of a software glitch, city officials are scrambling through records to make sure the same mistake wasn't made in previous years. The city on Saturday reimbursed retailers for the $100 overcharge after officials discovered that a computer program miscalculated the cost of occupational license fees. But since the program purges records at the start of each new cycle, community improvements director Phil Charnock has to locate hard copy evidence in the city's archives to see if retailers were shortchanged in the past. "If we've overcharged, then we are going to reimburse the money," Charnock said. At a public workshop Feb. 5, finance director Jim Graham and Charnock told commissioners that businesses such as Kmart and Publix supermarket with more than $20,000 of inventory were overcharged. Charnock discovered the problem in January during an audit. Retailers with large inventories pay the city a $55 flat fee along with $5 per thousand dollars of inventory above $20,000. "We're not like a company out there to get business," said City Attorney Linda Hallas. "There's no use to keep money we collected in error. That's why we suggested to make a refund for these folks." City officials are offering to reimburse any business who can provide their own affidavits that prove they were overcharged previously. Some of the smaller, family-owned businesses such as Pasadena Jewelers and Pasadena Discount Liquors said they were pleased with the city's handling of the situation. "I'm happy and fine with it," said Philip D'Elia, owner of Pasadena Jewelers."I've always had a good relationship with the city. . . . I'm not too worried."
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