San Benito County residents could have a few more options when paying fees to the county’s code enforcement office, the planning department and the agricultural commissioner’s office.
The county recently took the first step in adopting a new service from Lexis Nexis Vital Check Network, Inc. that would allow residents to pay fees at some county departments with a debit, credit card or electronic check via the web or in person.
During a public hearing last week to consider the adoption of the fees, Margie Riopel, a management analyst, said Lexis Nexis would not charge any fees to the county for equipment or the service. The county would, however, pass the transaction fee onto county clients. Those opting to pay with a Visa or MasterCard debit card would be charged $2.50 per transaction. Those paying with a credit card, including Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discovery or with an e-check would be charged $2.50 per transaction or 3 percent of the total charge. The transaction fees would be passed along to Lexis Nexis to distribute to the financial institutions. Residents would still have the option of paying fees in person by written check or cash, with no fee to be charged.
Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz talked about his own experience with transaction charges with the county’s tax collector’s office.
“A couple years ago we were short on cash at the company,” he said. “A lot of our employees were living paycheck to paycheck. I made the boneheaded decision to pay the taxes on the company credit card.”
He said the 3 percent charge ended up costing him an additional $227. He said he thought the county should go back and negotiate for better rates on the transaction fees.
Riopel said the tax collector’s office uses a different service for transaction fees, but officials will be reviewing that service at a future meeting. She said the fee is charged only to clients who want the convenience of alternative payment methods. She also said the clerk-recorder’s office is already using the Lexis Nexis system.
“This is really just an expansion of the same program,” she said. “It’s really a convenience for the public. They may not be able to get there into town.”
Supervisor Jerry Muenzer also pointed out that for someone who is at risk of missing a deadline to pay property taxes, a 3 percent fee would be better than the 10 percent penalty he or she would pay for being late.
Steve Wittry, the director of public works, said the new options for transactions will be helpful for his department in overseeing rental facilities. He said the department does not accept checks for rental deposits and many people have come in not knowing they needed to have cash with them. He said now the system will allow people to use a debit or credit card for the deposits.
“The convenience is really helpful,” he said.
Supervisors approved the resolution to accept the fees with a 4-1 vote, with Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz voting against it. The item will come before the board at a future meeting for final approval.
