The link to the payment site, which is currently available from both the town's website and Facebook page, allows residents to look up their tax bills from the past three years and pay them digitally after looking up their last name, property location, or bill ID.
It also allows for online payment of real estate, car, and commercial property tax bills. General utility bills like water and electricity, however, aren't expected to be integrated into the site until the next 12-18 months. Part of the issue is the digital infrastructure and networks from the utility departments will take some time to upgrade, according to Mayor Vincent Cervoni.
"My understanding is that the work that needs to be done in the utility's digital systems is going to take some time. So we just want to be conservative about not creating disappointment that it's not going to happen sooner than everybody wants it to," Cervoni said.
The creation of an online bill pay system has been a major goal for Cervoni, back from when he first ran for office in 2023, bringing on 30-year IT veteran Andrew Winters III as the town's first director of information technology last year to upgrade the town's dated digital infrastructure.
At town hall, many computers weren't connected to the broader town network, with other documentation remaining physical. The way Cervoni described it a year ago, the town had no digital infrastructure to start with, which required ARPA investment to help rectify and catch Wallingford up with its neighboring towns.This year the department saw a massive increase in its budget, rising from $409,889 for the current year's budget to just over $1 million.
For some time the town has utilized ACI Payments, a Georgia — based computer banking company, for its online bill pay services. When paying bills online, customers have to enter their account number with every payment, with credit cards being the only valid form of payment with a large processing fee attached.
With the implementation of the new platform, there would only be a capped 3.25% fee for paying with a credit card, or a $1.95 fee for paying with an e-check. Currently system accepts American Express, Visa, Discover, Master Card, PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and e-check.
Cervoni said that he was pleased to have accomplished one of his milestones for taking office and hoped that the site would offer a greater convenience to the taxpayers. He added that they were taking things slowly, to ensure that all information through their online portals remained secure.
"I certainly feel good about it. I'm pleased that we are making steps forward. I wish everything could happen more quickly, but you know, we have to work within what we're given and we have to be deliberate and careful about upgrading digital and online technology. You have to make sure that things are as secure as possible when you make these upgrades," said Cervoni.
Other town employees are already making use of the system and encourage resident to do the same.
"I highly encourage residents to use this new feature," said Wallingford Tax Collector Jo-Anne Rusczek. "I have already used it to pay my own car taxes. Many residents in town have also already used our online bill payment system, and I am very pleased with how well the system has operated."
Despite the upfront cost of investment in the improvements to the town's digital footprint, both Cervoni and Winters feel as if it's one that would pay back both the town and taxpayers in the long term, and offer greater convenience than having to turn bills in in-person.
To find the new payment site on the town's website, residents are instructed to go to the 'Find it Fast' tab on the town's website and clicking the lefthand tab for 'Pay Your Tax Bill In-person, Mail, Phone, or Online," with the first option on the page being the link to access the online bill payment portal.
Any bills already paid will not be impacted by the switch to the new system and won't need to repay. The town will also be keeping open alternative means of payment for those who don't wish to use the portal, including through mail, in-person at town hall, and via an automated phone service at 1-866-378-1139.
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