High Point mayor pays late utility bills

HIGH POINT, N.C. (AP) – Officials in High Point say the mayor has paid the more than $500 she owed the city in delinquent utility bills dating back to 2012.

The officials said Mayor Bernita Sims on Tuesday paid the $538.78 by credit card.

The missed payments stemmed from four billing cycles on the Candlewood Court rental property where she used to live.

Sims said the delinquencies were an oversight resulting from confusion about whether to pay the city or another agency, since the matter had been referred to a state collection program. The city had tried to collect the balance since January, shutting off service to the rental property.

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