Peoria County Treasurer Brandon Martin told the Ways and Means Committee on Aug. 25 that the county has installed three new ATMs, enabled in-person credit-card payments for property taxes at the courthouse and strengthened banking controls. Martin said the county installed “3 new ATMs we got installed last week. So 2 out of jail, 1 here.”

Martin told the committee the courthouse now has a credit-card reader so taxpayers can pay property taxes in person instead of only online. “We initialized a credit card reader today at our, here at the courthouse, so now we can take credit card payments for property taxes,” Martin said, adding that the change followed a courthouse remodel and a push to reduce turned-away customers.

The treasurer also reported a sealed-bid tax sale with bids due Aug. 29 and said second-installment tax payments are due Sept. 10. Martin described other financial controls the office has added, including “positive pay” on major bank accounts to monitor ACH and checks and a locked mailbox for checks brought to the mail room.

The report was provided as an informational item; no committee action was taken. Committee members asked for a follow-up email with details on a monthly resolution list cited during the discussion.

Why it matters: Enabling in-person credit-card payments and tightening bank controls affect how residents pay taxes and the county’s financial risk management. The upcoming tax-sale timeline may affect property owners who are delinquent on taxes.

Details: Martin said the older ATMs were 15–17 years old and sometimes lacked replacement parts; he said the new machines use current security features and cameras. He did not provide estimates of implementation cost, vendor names, or estimated change in revenue from the payment option.

What’s next: The treasurer agreed to email the committee the monthly resolution list when asked; the committee did not set further directions at the meeting.