April 14, the Wrightsville Beach Board of Aldermen will decide whether to implement several changes to the way residents pay utility bills, like allowing them to pay by credit card and imposing a late fee for overdue bills.
Currently, the town sends out a second late notice to customers whose bills are overdue. But last year, it had to send 1,320 late notices, incurring costs to the town in both man-hours and postage. Instead of sending out second late notices, town finance manager Erica Walters is recommending the town encourage residents to pay promptly by imposing a late fee for overdue payments.
Most governments and authorities have late fees, Walters pointed out in a memo. Not only does it cut costs, but it also creates revenue. Walters estimated that if the town had a late fee policy in 2015, it would have collected approximately $28,600.
The late fee policy, if approved, will be implemented in the 2017 fiscal year.
The board will also decide whether to start allow customers to pay by credit card. Town leaders have discussed it in the past, but they decided to wait until the town’s financial software was updated.
The town’s potential vendor, Automated Merchant Systems, recommends the town charge a $4 fee per transaction to offset the vendors’ fees for processing the transaction. Other governments charge anywhere from $2.95 to $11, Walters stated.
To start with, credit card payments would only be accepted for utility bills. In the future, the town could expand the program to include permits, citations and other payments to the town.
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