Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Finance Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council asks staff to study phased pass-through of credit-card processing fees
Summary
Staff told council the city pays more than $1 million annually in credit-card fees; council asked for a phased, department-by-department study (suggested 1% initial pass-through) and directed staff to return before any implementation.
Finance staff reported the city pays over $1,000,000 annually for credit-card transaction fees and asked the council whether to pursue passing that cost to end users. Staff noted technical and contractual issues (third-party processors and the need to modify agreements) that would make an immediate change impractical, and recommended studying phased options.
Councilors proposed a cautious plan — for example an initial 1% pass-through phased in over two to three years, or implementing pass-throughs in higher-volume areas first (parking, central business services) while deferring utilities until later. Staff agreed to analyze department-specific impacts, processor constraints and consumer-notice language and to return with cost estimates and an implementation plan for council approval before any change.
