Commission adopts 2.5% credit‑card service fee for county transactions; utilities excluded pending legal review

County finance staff reported nearly $240,000 in annual processing fees were being paid by the county for credit‑card transactions (taxes, fees, permits, range and other services). Staff said current contract arrangements vary by office and that the county has multiple card‑processing touchpoints.

Treasurer and clerk staff explained typical practice in other Utah counties is to pass a convenience fee on to card users and that rates commonly fall in the 2–3% range. Staff recommended a 2.5% fee and explained that debit cards and different networks (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express) incur different underlying merchant fees.

Commissioners expressed concern about charging taxpayers more than the actual merchant fee and asked that the county pursue a vendor that transparently prices by card type. The county attorney and treasurer will complete the legal review and vendor discussions before applying the fee to utility billing. In the meantime, the commission approved a 2.5% fee for non‑utility county transactions; staff will publish notice and implement vendor changes.

Why it matters: the county is currently absorbing hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in card processing costs. Passing a convenience fee places the processing cost on the payer who chooses to use a card instead of on the county tax base. Commissioners asked staff to ensure the fee is implemented transparently and to confirm legality for utility bill inclusion before applying it to utility accounts.