(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
March 31, 2015 - 12:08 PM
KAMLOOPS - When paying your property taxes, the City of Kamloops is offering you another option: Charge it.
A Thompson Rivers University team recently looked at what options the city could provide to make paying taxes easier including drop boxes, credit card payment, self-service kiosks and more advertising.
More property owners paid their taxes online through their bank rather than in person last year and credit card payments will be another online payment option this year. The city is looking at using Plastiq, which provides credit card processing, though that adds a 1.99 per cent fee to customers. The city is also looking at options for allowing credit card payments at City Hall, though that option will not be available this year.
A drop box will be made available at the Tournament Capital Centre during June, though cash payment at the drop boxes are discouraged. For those who arrive at City Hall to find lineups, a self-service workstation will be available in the lobby for customers to pay online.
This year the city will also be working with the Thompson-Nicola Regional District Library Service to host computer classes that will help people learn the myCity application including how to apply for other city services and online payments.
Last year the city set up a temporary tax office at McArthur Island while City Hall was under construction, but it also served as a test case for a satellite payment office. However so few people used it, some city councillors called the project a failure. They decided to not continue with the North Shore tax office this year.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Jennifer Stahn at jstahn@infonews.ca or call 250-819-3723. To contact a reporter for this story, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015