STOW: City residents should be able to pay utility bills online by spring.
Stow Finance Director John Baranek said he has been in discussions with Sturgis Web Services, a South Carolina company that specializes in websites and web-based financial services for government agencies, financial institutions and utilities.
There is still some work to do before he will ask the city to approve a contract with the company.
“This will have no impact on the city expense-wise,” Baranek said. “What will happen is the user will pay a user or convenience fee, because we’re not going to be the merchant.”
Having another company service the program also limits the city’s liability, he said.
Customers will be able to access the service through the Stow website.
Paying utility bills online with a credit card is just the first phase, Baranek said.
“In the next phase, [customers] will be able to pay in person with a credit card,” Baranek said.
By the end of 2012, he expects all city offices — including income tax and parks and recreation — to accept credit card payments online or in person.
And because some residents have been asking for paperless billing, that will also be an option when the software installation is complete, Baranek said.
“We want to move forward and do this for our residents,” he said.