Audit Finding: Many Apex Residents may Have Been Undercharged for Utilities
Outside audit found no systemic overbilling. Instead, most errors resulted from delayed billing and flawed reconciliation logic in the billing software.
Apex, NC, May 18, 2025—For months, many Apex residents have questioned the accuracy of their utility bills, some citing inconsistent charges, others reporting unexplained spikes. A recently completed third-party review has revealed a surprising truth: many residents were undercharged, not overbilled. That conclusion emerged from research and analysis initiated after a cybersecurity incident disabled the town’s billing system in July 2024.
In a detailed presentation to the Apex Town Council on May 13, 2025, national consulting firm Berry Dunn McNeil & Parker, LLC, revealed the results of its independent audit. After reconstructing simulated billing data from two complete cycles, the firm found the Town had under-collected more than $300,000 in revenue, due mainly to delayed meter reads, missing base charges, and system limitations that emerged as Apex recovered from the breach.
The findings mark a pivotal moment for town leaders, who have now voted to allow residents to opt in to a personalized billing review to rebuild public trust and stabilize finances.
The Cyber Incident That Sparked the Crisis
The billing questions stemmed from a cyber incident that struck Apex on July 2, 2024, disrupting many of the Town’s systems, including utility billing. As the Town worked to recover, it issued delayed “catch-up” bills that covered two or more months of usage in a single statement.
While these combined bills appeared abnormally high to residents, they were often the result of compressed billing cycles, with some customers billed for as many as 100 days at once. System limitations also complicated matters, as base charges for one or more months were sometimes omitted, and tiered water rates were applied in ways that inflated high-usage bills.
The audit outcome was undercollection and not overcharging, as many had feared.
What the Third-Party Review Found
In response to the growing concerns, Apex hired Berry Dunn to simulate what customer bills should have been if the cyber incident hadn’t occurred. The consultants analyzed data from two billing cycles and a sample of 100 representative accounts.
Their findings were surprising:
Cycle 1: Apex underbilled residents by approximately $255,000, or 2.4%
Cycle 2: Underbilled by roughly $45,000, or 0.4%
Only one customer account showed overbilling, by just $19.05
The audit found no systemic overbilling. Instead, most errors resulted from delayed billing and flawed reconciliation logic in the software used to recover from the cyberattack.
A New Twist: Vendor Shutdown Disrupts Paper Billing
As if recovering from the cyber fallout wasn’t challenging enough, Town Manager Randy Vosburg shared another challenge at the meeting: the third-party vendor that prints and mails Apex’s paper utility bills suddenly ceased operations after being acquired.
With no backup, residents relying on paper statements will not receive them until a new vendor is secured.
Vosburg advised all residents to register for the town’s eSuites portal to access and manage their bills online, noting that the shutdown affected other municipalities, including Cary, Raleigh, and Durham.
What the Council Considered, and What They Chose
Faced with the findings and public demand for accountability, the Apex Town Council was presented with four response options:
Manually review every account
Accept the audit findings and take no further action
Offer an opt-in review process to concerned residents
Review only accounts statistically likely to contain errors
After extensive discussion, including legal input during a closed session, the council voted 4–1 in favor of Option 3, which empowers residents to request a personalized review of their billing records.
The decision balances the need for transparency with staff capacity constraints and avoids an expensive town-wide audit of all 22,000+ utility accounts.
Here’s What Happens Next
Apex officials outlined a clear plan to launch the opt-in review process:
A digital form will be created and available within one week
The Town will publicize the program via the website, social media, and the eSuites billing platform
Residents will have 30 to 60 days to submit their opt-in request
Each submitted account will receive a manual review
If underbilling is confirmed, the customer may be asked to pay the difference
Importantly, Council also agreed that no new collection efforts or late fees will resume until the review period concludes.
The Town did not decide whether to pursue repayment of underbilled amounts from residents who do not opt in.
The Broader Picture
The opt-in review is a significant step, but much work remains. The meeting revealed several additional concerns:
6,635 utility accounts are currently more than 120 days past due
790 residents owe more than $1,000 on their accounts
Collections and penalties have been paused since July 2024, worsening the Town’s receivables
Berry Dunn is expected to deliver a final report documenting lessons learned, system limitations, and recommendations for future billing reliability. The Town plans to use those findings to guide upgrades to its billing platform and customer service operations.
What Residents Can Do Now
If you live in Apex and receive a utility bill, here’s what you should do:
Register for an eSuites account at www.apexnc.org to access and monitor your bill
Watch for updates on the opt-in review form’s availability
Reach out to the billing office if your charges seem inaccurate or confusing
Why It Matters
This billing crisis wasn’t rooted in overbilling or malfeasance but in software limitations, delayed reads, and disrupted processes identified after a cyber event. Still, it has left thousands of residents confused and frustrated, and the Town faces complex decisions about how to recover.
As Apex works to close the loop on this issue, its success will depend on open communication, public engagement, and a commitment to making things right, account by account, if necessary.
For more information or to share your thoughts, contact the Mayor or Town Manager:
Mayor Jacques Gilbert
Email: jacques.gilbert@apexnc.org
Town Manager Randy Vosburg
Email: randy.vosburg@apexnc.org