ZIONSVILLE — "Please pay. We need our money," said Abdual Fyzalon.
On Thursday, July 14, Owner of City Wide Paving Inc. Abdual Fyzalon says his company hasn't been paid for their completed work at a Zionsville golf path.
"We started the job in November of 2021. Here we are in July of 2022. The job was completed on June 6 of 2022," Fyzalon said. "The total contract price was almost $570,000. There is a reason why we are not getting paid and it's always a clerical issue. It's never an issue with the work. The work has been accepted. The golf course is open."
On Friday, July 15, Amanda Vela, public information officer for the town, said the claim was approved at a park board meeting on July 13 and the check was issued the following day.
District 5 Town Councilor Josh Garrett says the town uses an out-of-state payment system called OpenGov.
Garrett said right now, town officials aren't able to access accurate account funds.
"In the day-to-day, we don't know where are we on the budget. Are we over? Are we under budget? That is the piece that is missing," Garrett said. "Now the town isn't gonna run out of money. We are able to pay bills, but does certainly hurt for strategic planning."
He said it's impacting payments for vendors and contractors because those claims have to be approved by the council.
"There are many, many vendors that are unfortunately impacted by this and some are small businesses," Garrett said. "Some are local to Zionsville. We have the cash. We want to pay them. We just don't have the system that allows us to get them paid."
Garrett said this isn't the first time this has happened due to software issues.
"I feel bad for them and all of those vendors waiting on those checks," Garrett said. "They shouldn't be made to suffer due to a poorly designed system that the town of Zionsville finds themselves having."
The situation is unacceptable for Fyzalon.
"I have deep concerns about what's going on in Zionsville," Fyzalon said. "We do a lot of work in getting paid from a public-funded project. These are taxpayers' money. Please pay your bills. I am speaking on behalf of us contractors. We can not afford to carry a city such as Zionsville on our backs while you guys are reaping the benefits of our labor."
"Claims were presented to Town Council at the June 21 meeting. Those claims were approved and have been paid. Due to a software issue, claims were not presented to Council at the July 5 meeting. Finance staff alerted the vendor of the issue and subsequently, the software was updated, the issue was resolved and claims were presented to the Parks Board on July 13. These have been approved and been paid. Unfortunately, Town Council cancelled their July 18 meeting. Had council not cancelled their July 18 meeting, claims would have been presented for their consideration and vendors would have been paid on July 19. We are prepared to present claims at the Council’s next meeting.
WRTV received a copy of the claim report.
There are nearly one thousand people paid out, including employees.
WRTV has reached out to "OpenGov" for comment.
-
End of 2025 legislative session brings budget cuts and controversial bills
Thursday marks the final day of the Indiana General Assembly’s legislative session, with lawmakers racing to address the remaining legislation.
New juvenile advisory council hopes to provide solutions to teen violence
The Marion County Commission on Youth says it's partnering with Indianapolis Justice System Leaders to form a new juvenile advisory council.
Residents and motorcyclist demand action on crumbling street in West 82nd
Residents near West 82nd Street plead for urgent repairs to a road hazard they say has been ignored for months, as city crews ramp up infrastructure efforts across Indianapolis.
Town of Speedway gearing up for the month of May
As the calendar turns to May, the town of Speedway, Indiana, prepares for its biggest event of the year — the Indianapolis 500.
