GIS & Tax CollectionsChad Hoover, GISP

Steuben County GIS Coordinator

Information at your fingertips• On February 8, 2010 – World Internet usage was

estimated at 1,733,993,741 people according to the Internet World Stats database. The North America Population in 2009 was estimated to be 340,831,831 and the Internet usage was 252,908,000 or 74.2% of the population. The public is demanding easy, fast, accurate, affordable access to information.

GIS Online• Number One Request since GIS & Assessment & Tax

data went online (2005)

• Why can’t you take payments online?

• You mean I can’t use my credit card?

• Your only open until 4:30!

• I can’t make it to the office during those hours!

• But it’s due tomorrow, and I am in Arizona!

2008 Elections

Laurie Stoy, Elected Treasurer

Treasurer’s Office Goals• Take Credit Card Payments

– Make it a priority

– Make it Easy • Taxpayer

• Treasurer’s Office

– Be Cost effective

Hurdles • Banks

– Local Bank (Chain) $3-$5,000 fee to integrate with software vendor, plus user fee per transaction.

• Software Vendors– Tax Software Vendor offered service as part of current

package

– Additional fee to County $5000

• Public Acceptance– Why is the County offering a service everyone has to pay for?

• Additional Fees?

• Ability to Pay Multiple Parcels at a time!– Many Lake Residents & Ag have multiple Parcels

Does anyone in Indiana have payments combined with GIS?

• Many Government Agencies had payment services– Payments linked to City Utilities, County

Websites, but nothing geographically!

• At the time few if any had linked payments with GIS– If linked, no multiple parcel payment option

GIS Vendor• Had other clients

using payment service

• None in Indiana

• Single parcel payments

• User fee for each transaction

• Minimum fee

How did we get there?• GIS hosted by The

Schneider Corporation

• FEES

$50/month for County as part of Website

• Payment Services by PayGOV LLC.

• FEES– Only to user of

service

– 3% in County Office

– 3.95% through WEB

– 4.95% Phone

Access to Services

Individual Parcel Payment

Has anyone used it?• Started June 9, 2009

• June 2009 – October 2009 (1st Billing Due June 9,2009)– 105 Customers

– Over $50,000 in collections

• Since October 2009– Tax sale & Fall Collections

• Collected over $30,000 in tax sale collections

• Over $115,000 in second half tax collections

– Total collections for 2009 (June 9 through Dec. 31, 2009)

– $197,551.05

Has anyone used it?• Many Repeat users

– Mortgage Companies miss second lots not associated with home or structure

• Customers indicate Credit Card rewards outweigh the user fee.

• Local residents as well as “Seasonal Homeowners”

Where do we go from here?• Get more services incorporated into GIS site

– Permits

With collection service agreement, may allow permits online

Questions?

Chad Hoover, GISP

Steuben County Government

choover@co.steuben.in.us

260-668-1000 ext. 1228