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County OK with some bill payments online

Soliciting bids from potential service providers is the next step, officials said.

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By Bridgette Outten, Staff Writer Updated 11:05 PM Tuesday, March 16, 2010

SPRINGFIELD — Clark County customers will have the option of paying some of their bills online by this summer, if all goes according to plan.

Clark County commissioners on Tuesday, March 16, unanimously approved a resolution that will allow payments for licensing fees, utility bills and others approved by county departments via credit card.

Auditor George Sodders brought the measure before the board.

“I think this is a real convenience for taxpayers and there is no additional cost to the county for providing this service,” he said.

The option to pay property taxes online will not be included with the measure at this time, county Treasurer Stephen Metzger said.

He said he doesn’t know yet what user fees would be.

“I would assume the larger the dollar amount, the larger the expense,” Metzger said. “And property taxes can be pretty large.”

The next step will be to solicit bids from potential providers, officials said.

In other business, Sodders offered a proposal for a joint GIS (Geographical Information Systems) Web site with the city of Springfield.

The partnership will eliminate duplication of services, he said, and will boost the county’s economic development initiatives. The GIS contract with Digital Data Technologies Inc. will cost $21,000 a year or $1,750 a month, with the city paying $500 a month — $6,000 a year — for its share.

Tom Franzen, city economic development administrator, said city officials initiated the project with county representatives last October.

“It’s the right thing to do,” he said. “From a customer service standpoint and it’s key for economic development.”

Once updates are completed, the “one-stop shop” for area GIS mapping will be found at the county’s Web site: gis.co.clark.oh.us.

The site will include city and county enterprise zones, traffic lights, street lights, and locations of fire and EMS stations, water hydrants, sewer and water lines.

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