Nassau Bay council adopts fee to pass credit-card charges to payers for utilities, permits and court payments

The Nassau Bay City Council voted July 14 to adopt a resolution allowing the city to pass credit-card processing fees to payers for utility bills, permit payments and municipal court transactions.

City staff said the city had absorbed roughly $37,000 in credit-card fees in fiscal year 2024 and about $34,000 year to date through June 2025. Staff recommended passing fees through to users at different rates: 2.25% for utility payments, 3.25% for permitting and 3.75% for municipal court transactions. Staff proposed implementation on Oct. 1 and said the action protects city funds from ongoing processing costs.

Finance staff presented transaction-size data showing the majority of credit-card transactions are small: about 70–75% under $100, 21% between $100 and $1,000 and about 3% over $1,000. Staff said the cost-shift would fall mostly on the largest transactions because a small share of very large payments account for a substantial portion of fees.

Council amended the resolution language during the meeting to clarify scope and then voted to adopt it. The recorded vote at the meeting was unanimous in favor; council directed staff to notify customers by newsletter, bill inserts and point-of-sale notices. City staff also noted the state law cap on convenience fees and that the city’s proposed percentages are below the legal maximum cited.

Council did not set a new fee schedule beyond the percentages presented; staff said they will publish the final point-of-sale message and effective date in advance of Oct. 1.