A total of 23 cities across the state, including four in Central Texas are suing Time Warner Cable.

Waco, Belton, Harker Heights and Killeen are all involved in the one million dollar suit.

The 13 page lawsuit says that since before January 1st, 2014, Time Warner Cable doing business as Spectrum and it’s parent company Charter Communications failed to pay multiple cities their franchise fees.

“Cities have engaged consultants to conduct audits on those payments and it is our position that Spectrum have not paid the cities the full amount that they are entitled to under the law,” said Thomas L. Brocato, Attorney with Austin-based Lloyd, Gosselink, Rochelle and Townsend, P.C.

That payment is 5% of the cable provider’s gross revenues including money made from reconnecting fees, commercial trouble calls, FCC user fees and late fees.

“Right of way, public right of way, that’s an asset of the public and cities have city street right of way and when they lease that space out to cable providers so that they can lay their lines in the city right of way you know the public expects to be compensated in some fashion,” said Brocato.

Monday the cities say they have not received in full for over four years because the company under reported and omitted that revenue.

“They have one interpretation of the law and we have a different one and that’s what’s resulted in this situation,” said Brocato.

The lawsuit also says the cable provider used wrong methodology to calculate that revenue and franchise fees.

“The dispute really is between how they calculate they’re gross revenues,” added Brocato.

The lawsuit is seeking relief of over $1 million because it says 23 Texas cities have been “damaged by Charter’s conduct.”

“We’ll just have to see what happens, I don’t know what they’re position is going to be at this point, I think they have a different interpretation of the law, but whether we’re able to reach some sort of agreement or need a decision from the court, that remains to be seen,” said Brocato.

FOX 44 reached out to Charter Communications, but they say they have no comment at this time.

The cities involved in the lawsuit include:

PLAINTIFF CITY OF ALLEN,

PLAINTIFF CITY OF ARLINGTON,

PLAINTIFF CITY OF ROWLETT,

PLAINTIFF CITY OF WACO,

PLAINTIFF CITY OF WICHITA FALLS,

PLAINTIFF CITY OF HUTTO,

PLAINTIFF CITY OF IRVING,

PLAINTIFF CITY OF KILLEEN,

PLAINTIFF CITY OF LEWISVILLE,

PLAINTIFF CITY OF MESQUITE,

PLAINTIFF CITY OF ROCKWALL,

PLAINTIFF CITY OF DALWORTHINGTON GARDENS,

PLAINTIFF CITY OF EULESS,

PLAINTIFF CITY OF FORT WORTH,

PLAINTIFF CITY OF GARLAND,

PLAINTIFF CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE,

PLAINTIFF CITY OF HARKER HEIGHTS,

PLAINTIFF CITY OF BEDFORD,

PLAINTIFF CITY OF BELTON,

PLAINTIFF CITY OF CARROLLTON,

PLAINTIFF CITY OF CEDAR HILL,

PLAINTIFF CITY OF COLLEYVILLE,

PLAINTIFF CITY OF COPPELL,