Treasurer reports higher collections, rising electronic payments and upcoming surplus auction

The county treasurer reported that collections and electronic payments rose for the fiscal year and described the schedule for upcoming distributions and a surplus auction. "Start off, with our public safety numbers as we usually do. And for the month of August, you can see that it was up quite a bit," Treasurer Scott said at the Aug. 19 committee meeting. Nut graf: The treasurer told the Taxes, Election and Recorder Committee that the county has collected roughly 60% of expected taxes for the year so far, is seeing increased use of electronic payment options, has investment maturities renewing near 4%, and has published surplus auction materials with sealed bids due Sept. 19. Committee motions approved the charges report and forwarded the treasurer's budget to the finance committee. The treasurer said the first distributions were made on July 7 and Aug. 11 and that those two payments totaled "172,000,000 so far," adding that the county's full-year total being collected is "293" (as stated to the committee). He also reported growth in the county's electronic-payment program: last year there were about 6,000 users and this year "over a thousand almost a thousand increase from the previous year," and electronic receipts rose "from 14,000,000 last year to 19,000,000 this year," per the treasurer's figures. He described the county's current software limits for allowing prepayments and compared the county's choices to other counties: "Saint Clair County ... do monthly payments ... and they actually get a little coupon book," he said, while the county uses different software (Fike and Fike) and currently cannot apply extra payments to next year's installment in the same automated way. On investments and auctions, the treasurer said several securities recently matured and were renewed at rates approaching 4 percent. He also said the surplus auction books are available and sealed bids are due Sept. 19. The committee moved several formal actions during the treasurer's segment: members voted to approve the minutes from the previous meeting (motion by James Bailey, second Ron Blue; motion carries), accepted the treasurer's charges report (motion by Tom Templeton, second Miss York; motion carries) and voted to forward the treasurer's budget to the finance committee (motion by Ron Blue, second Matt Slager; motion carries). "Can I have a motion to accept the charges report presented, please, by mister Templeton, second by miss York? All in favor? Aye," the chair recorded. The meeting also included a motion to approve the treasurer's bills later in the agenda. Ending: The treasurer circulated budget materials for signatures and the committee voted to send the treasurer's budget to the finance committee for consideration.