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Tax collector previews Easy Smart Pay platform for voluntary monthly property tax payments
Summary
Tax Collector Kayla Wessel and Easy Smart Pay representatives demonstrated a voluntary monthly property-tax payment option that uses Braintree for processing, charges 0% for ACH and 1.99% for card transactions (no American Express), and described integration, refunds and reconciliation; the Board asked staff to check references and for the finance lead to consult the Oregon State Treasury.
Tax Collector Kayla Wessel introduced Easy Smart Pay representatives Chase Broffman and Aaron Peterson, who demonstrated a voluntary monthly payment platform for property taxes and explained technical and operational details to the Klamath County Board of Commissioners.
The presenters said Easy Smart Pay uses Braintree (a PayPal subsidiary) for transaction processing, offers 0% ACH fees to taxpayers and a 1.99% charge for credit and debit card payments, and does not accept American Express. They outlined integration with county tax-roll software, reconciliation procedures, handling of failed payments, and refund processes for taxpayers who cancel or sell property (refunds are routed to the original payment method unless funds already remitted to the county). Peterson described automated data fetching from open data platforms to minimize staff workload.
Board members expressed general support for the concept but asked staff to check references and requested that Vickie Noel consult the Oregon State Treasury about any state-level considerations. No procurement or contract decision was made at the July 7 meeting.
Why it matters: the platform offers a voluntary option for taxpayers who prefer monthly payments, with fees borne by the payer and no upfront cost to the county in the demonstration materials.
Next steps: staff will check vendor references and the finance lead will consult state treasury contacts before bringing any formal contract or pilot recommendation to the Board.
