Agenda Item: 12(a)
Prepared By: Guillermo A. Polanco
Business: Resolution
Department: Finance
Subject:
Title
Resolution to Approve Convenience Fee Rates
Body
BACKGROUND:
As the City continues to move forward in automating its processes in order to provide a higher level of customer service, it is necessary to set convenience fee rates that allow for online fee payments. The following excerpt from the Florida Statutes permits the use of convenience fees to recoup the costs incurred to provide these services.
Section 215.322, Acceptance of credit cards, charge cards, debit cards, or electronic funds transfers by state agencies, units of local government, and the judicial branch.-
(1) It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage state agencies, the judicial branch, and units of local government to make their goods, services, and information more convenient to the public through the acceptance of payments by credit cards, charge cards, debit cards, or other means of electronic funds transfers to the maximum extent practicable when the benefits to the participating agency and the public substantiate the cost of accepting these types of payments.
(5) A unit of local government, including a municipality, special district, or board of county commissioners or other governing body of a county, a consolidated or metropolitan government, and any clerk of the circuit court, sheriff, property appraiser, tax collector, or supervisor of elections, is authorized to accept payment by use of credit cards, charge cards, bank debit cards, and electronic funds transfers for financial obligations that are owing to such unit of local government and to surcharge the person who uses a credit card, charge card, bank debit card, or electronic funds transfer in payment of taxes, license fees, tuition, fines, civil penalties, court-ordered payments, or court costs, or other statutorily prescribed revenues an amount sufficient to pay the service fee charges by the...
Click here for full text