Anaheim : Bills Totaling $884,466 Written Off by Council

Anaheim apparently has its share of deadbeats.

The city last week wrote off $884,466 in uncollected bills. Most--6,554 accounts totaling $729,218--were unpaid utility bills. The rest were debts by tenants of Anaheim Stadium and Anaheim Convention Center and other miscellaneous accounts.

Although the City Council last Tuesday approved writing off the accounts, city officials and an outside collection agency will pursue collection efforts.

Sometimes, such continued effort succeeds. In the 1985-86 fiscal year persistent collectors netted the city $1,500 in the miscellaneous accounts written off the previous year, Alan C. Murphy, assistant finance director, wrote in a report to the council.

In anticipation of unpaid bills, city departments budget for write-offs. Once the accounts are written off, future collections are recorded as revenue for the year they are collected.