AdvanceChristiansburg

I love option #2 of course.

In considering the software for the town, I would like to make a suggestion that whatever is used can accept browsers besides Firefox and Explorer. Working for Blacksburg we have received complaints that the online payments cannot be accessed using Safari. I would say 98% of the people use the other browsers, but having access for Mac users and the like would be cool.

Having online payments would rock! I get charged for going over a check allotment each month. Having one less check to write would be useful.

I wonder if the Town could save money by giving people the option of receiving paperless bills? Save postage and printing!

Lisa-
Excellent idea for when we get to online stage. Your insight/vantage on this issue is particularly valuable and I appreciate your taking time to comment.
Regards.

Nicely done! Please just keep up the pressure like you have on the trails and bikeways so we can see this become a reality.
Personally, I don't see a need for a walk-in credit card payment system. If people are walking in, they can just as easily pay by check/cash.
Save that expense for something else that would benefit more citizens....like the online payments, trails, sidewalks, upgrading water and sewer systems.
Personally, I would hold off for the online service because if you simply provide a computer with internet access in the lobby at Town Hall, people can pay from there if they still want to walk in and use a card.
It only makes good financial sense to follow the most cost effective plan.

This has been been progressing slowly -- by jerks? Thanks for a laugh.

Of course I'd be in favor of online electronic payments without a fee but have to ask why we're considering both options. Is there a cost-related reason to use an online service that charges a fee, i.e. difference in software and its cost? I wouldn't want to insist on fee-free transactions only to have to pay for the convenience elsewhere.

Carol - Thanks; good points. An apt objective that I infer from your comments is: Convenience, yes - but not if it adversely affects others. I agree.

By Who - Glad you liked the snake metaphor, but of course I didn't mean it that way. The Treasurer's Department is doing great.

Donna Speaks - Excellent point; indeed there are no free bowls of chili, and any program the Town adopts must be financially justifiable. Val Tweedie (Town Treasurer) presented a report to Council on 17 Nov 2010 outlining anticipated costs of electronic (or "Convenience") payments. The costs for processing paper payments (cash/check) is limited to direct labor (town employee handling), postage, etc. Debit cards with PIN input incur no transaction fees. Convenience fees for credit card and/or online payments would average 2%. So, based on these numbers and estimating the actual volume of transactions that would take place in such an environment, Ms. Tweedie notes in her report, "The convenience fees charged for these transaction assumptions would be approximately $9,500 to $45,000 (sic: annually) depending on the average transaction size and volume of activity". Ms. Tweedie advises that $25,000/yr. is a good figure to assume for transaction fees. Potential cost savings of providing citizen customers with more payment options include increased recapture of taxes, utility bills, and delinquencies (a virtual certainty, per Ms. Tweedie, though difficult to accurately quanify), reduced paperwork, postage, etc. So these are the types of data we will be basing our decision on. Thanks for bringing this up; I should have included this background info. in the original post.

Brad, the metaphor didn't make me think of Treasurer's Office. I believe the Finance Director who is supposed to report directly to you and council (as does the Police Chief and Town Manager) is Valerie Tweedie...and I think the talking point should be why no online payments using credit/debit cards or as one alternative to the online bill-pay my bank offers me. Does council really believe people are clamoring to come to town hall to save the cost of a stamp or that that many citizens aren't credit worthy enough to have personal checking accounts? Why have every teller window equipped instead of a single line for those types of payments instead of expense of telephone lines and card scanners at each one? Most importantly, can this be 'enterprise' wide and the same account/system used at other money-generating town facilities like the sports complex, pool and Rec Center?

Brad,
Option 2 sounds fine. Seriously no need for the online billpay as it would be an added expense to the Town and the most efficient way to pay your bills online is through a single site such as your bank or credit card website AND no charge at those sites.
Thanks for doing a great job in your first term and I encourage you to run again. I am excited about the Huckleberry Trail getting started soon and I know you have been a big proponent of that as Ms. Lindstrom notes above.

Jan 9 Anon doesn't seem to understand the use of credit or debit cards does not include paying online. Pick up the telephone, call town hall and give them your credit or debit card number, sure. Drive to, park and walk into town hall and present your credit or debit card, yes. But go to town's or another secure website and pay, no. Option 2 does have a cost to provide in monthly service fees to the provider and equipment (dedicated telephone lines and card readers) whether citizens are charged for it or not, correct? Online bill pay through your own bank's checking account is already an option, and one that saves the town money as there isn't a related deposit because it goes from citizens account directly into town's account, correct?

To Townie2 - I do understand, but what I was saying is that option 2 gives folks the possibility of paying by DC or CC and there is no need for the additional cost of also doing online since it is available at bank and CC websites. Sorry if I didn't phrase it right or you didn't understand.

Jan 9 Anon. What if your bank charges you a checking account fee and you don't get online bill pay for free? What if you use a public computer? What if your credit is bad and you have to use cash or money orders? Name a credit card site that takes payments without a fee to the user. What if you don't have the full water bill, will the town take a partial payment or set up a repayment plan? What if you don't have money but you have credit card that charges usary interest rates or you have to give up the title of your car. Not a problem since the town got paid? Think again. This is more than what the cost is for the town as a budget item. This is a social issue that could be worse if water and sewer rates weren't already subsidized by other tax sources. Lot of variables and council must go for long-term, great benefit at least cost option. I thought that was something they were taking care of by 2004...

who in the heck is going to spend $2 in gas to drive in to pay by debit card at town hall when they can mail in a check for 44cents? Anyone with a debit card has checks.But it sure would be helpful to have the bills sent by email or to be able to check balance owed online. I went 5 days without getting mail during the snow.

Some more good discussion on the finer points of DC/CC/on-line payments - raises some questions that I can't answer without some additional clarification (esp. bank/CC company-based online payments, etc.). This is a good example of the the type of input that leads to better (informed) decisions. Thanks for the sharpening.

Brad,

From a personal standpoint, I can see no advantage to a credit card system that requires me to either come to the Town Hall in person or mail a piece of paper back with my credit card info. on it. I think any new system should allow either automatic credit card charging without any mailing taking place back and forth or a system that allows for on-line bill pay thru my bank. Otherwise, I will continue mailing the town a check.

Thanks for allowing my input!

Mr. Bishop -
Thanks for your comments.
I believe you can presently pay bills thru your bank's online service. At Tuesday night's council meeting (19 Jan 2010), it was decided to provide citizens with the additional option to use debit and credit cards for all financial transactions with the town. The last mile will be for citizens to be able to pay bills online through the town's website or to use debit/credit cards remotely. We are optimistic that such capabilities will be in place during 2010. If you have any other questions, please let me know. Regards.
PS Issues like this remind me of a Bill Cosby quote I read last weekend, "I'm not sure what the key to success is, but I'm sure of the key to failure -- try and please everybody!" I think council took the right action here, albeit a 3 to 3 vote with the mayor casting the deciding vote. Council also agreed to revisit the issue in a year (Jan 2011) and review the usage/costs/benefits and decide if recovery charges are warranted based on the volume/costs of merchant service fees.