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Shamrock Lakes board activates online bill-pay after two-month test
Summary
After testing in October and November, the Shamrock Lakes Town Board voted to activate an online bill-pay service, agreeing to publish FAQs about posting times and fees after members raised concerns about processing delays and a resident complaint about the convenience fee.
The Shamrock Lakes Town Board voted Nov. 20 to activate an online bill-pay service after two months of testing that showed increased use in November and some questions about processing and posting times.
Board members said most online transactions post the next day but noted isolated cases where payments initiated on Monday or Tuesday were not deposited until Wednesday. The board agreed to advise residents to allow up to four or five days for payments to appear in town records and to publish a Frequently Asked Questions page on the town website explaining how to pay for multiple months or prepay an entire year.
Members discussed user concerns over the processing fee charged to residents; the board reported one resident said, "I'm never doing this again," when faced with the convenience charge. The board noted that the town does not incur the processing fee and that the fee is generally small (about $1.73 on a $58 payment). Officials said the convenience is offered to residents who prefer online payments and that the program adds some staff time to reconcile deposits.
After discussion the board made and carried a motion to make the online bill-pay service active for all accounts. No member recorded opposition during the vote, and the board directed staff to publish guidance and the payment link after the meeting.
The board scheduled the next regular meeting for Dec. 18 at 6 p.m.
