HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 10134 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 10134
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council May 1, 2018
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*a SUBJECT: LIBRARY FINES, FEES AND BAD DATA CLEANUP
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The purpose of this Informal Report is to update the City Council on an effort at the Fort Worth Library to: A)clean up
bad data in the Library's integrated technology management system;B)add receivables to the City's general ledger; and
C)improve on tracking and reporting patron debt owed to the City.
The Fort Worth Library charges fines for items that are overdue and fees for items that are never returned. The goal of the
fine and fee program is to recover city assets and hold people responsible for the items they check out using their library
card. Keeping track of city assets in the form of books and other materials is standard practice in the industry. We also
maintain an updated list of our patrons by having their library card expire every year.However,while we require users to
renew their cards once a year in order to keep records current,our fine and fee program has not received a similar level of
oversight.
As part of the City's review of accounts receivable balances and the implementation of the new PeopleSoft Billing System,
the Library and Financial Management Services Departments have evaluated the library system data. The library has
records for fines and fees dating back to the early 1990s;however,none of these fines and fees are recorded on the City's
general ledger as receivables.Nearly all of the records prior to 2010 lack sufficient information for any collection efforts to
continue or to be initiated. Unfortunately,data was lost during software transitions after two system upgrades. This means
that we have records assigned to patron accounts that cannot be linked to a book or other materials and even if the item is
returned,the fee cannot be cleared.
The City has a collection contract for fines and fees with Unique Management,the leading material-recovery service for
libraries in the United States. Unpaid fines and fees are turned over to Unique Management for collection. During the
collection process,many records have been labeled"No Address/Address Incorrect",`Bankruptcy", and"Bad Debt".As
of September 30,2017,the Library has$14,357,452 in outstanding fines and fees that go back to the early 1990s.Under
our current program,fees and fines for children are waived once they turn seventeen if they visit the library and request a
waiver. Of the amount outstanding, $2,530,343 (66,372 kids)relates to amounts which were eligible to be waived.
Staff plans to eliminate what we consider bad data from the library management system and focus on collectible debt.
According to Unique Management,the industry standard for debt collection activities is three years with the recovery rate
on delinquent accounts declining significantly after the three-year period leaving unpaid accounts unlikely to be collected.
The Library has been working with the City's Financial Management Services department to add the receivables to the
general ledger.
Effective May 1,2018 the Library will take these steps:
• Clean up bad data in the Library's management system. This will include all amounts older than three years and
bad data within the last three years.
• Receivables in the amount of$2,832,790 from the last three years will be added to the general ledger. These
receivables will be fully reserved.
• On an annual basis,the Library Department will work with Finance on required adjustments associated with
uncollectable receivables.
With these changes,we feel the Library will be in a better position to manage both materials and collections as we move
forward. Additionally,the City's library management system will reflect current conditions. If you have any questions or
need additional information,please contact Manya Shorr at 817-392-7707 or at Manya.Shorr ,fortworthtexas.gov
David Cooke
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS