Port Huron residents will still be able to drop off or make in-person payments for utility bills and property taxes under a new program announced by the city that’s aimed at reducing administrative costs.
According to a release on Monday, the city conducted a viability study of a program called Lockbox for processing mailed-in payments for utility bills and property tax payments, utilizing its set-up through the city’s current banking institution to reduce associated man hours and other expenses.
With the change, city water users will gain access to autopayment options with others to pay by text, over the phone, or online 24 hours daily.
However, the change also comes with a change in mailing address for those mailing utility payments in: City of Port Huron Water Utilities, PO Box 773111, Detroit, MI 48277-3111.
In response to some concerns about the changes, officials addressed the update during Monday night’s regular City Council meeting.
“This change only affects utility bills and property tax mail payments. There is no change to paying in person at the Municipal Office Center or using our after-hours, on-site drop box,” Mayor Pauline Repp said, referring to the box on the north side of the MOC, 100 McMorran Blvd., downtown. “The automation of the Lockbox will allow for an import file to be directly loaded into each software program the city uses and apply payments in a much more effective and efficient manner than the past practice of importing (payments) manually.”
The change also meant upgrading the online function with a new credit card processor with one link on the city’s homepage at www.porthuron.org for all invoices and bills due to the city.
Repp said the new electronic features also include texted bill payment reminders.
Autopayment options included auto-withdrawal. There was no charge for the set-up of residents using the system, though fees to payments would apply.
“I wanted to bring this up tonight even before it was mentioned because I know I’ve read a few comments on Facebook that people think we’re getting our water from Detroit now,” Repp said. “And that’s not the case. It’s merely where the service goes through. It’s still handled by the city.”
Prior to Monday’s announcement, City Manager James Freed said residents were mailed notifications of the coming change.
He said they’ve had more than 800 people in five days sign up for paperless billings.
“The big one was the autopay. A lot of people have been requesting that — snowbirds who go out of town just want to have an autopay (option),” he said. “We have been able to reduce staffing levels significantly in the treasurer’s office. We will continue to do that through attrition as people retire; we won’t replace them as more and more people sign up for this program.
“So, yes, you’re mailing your water bill to a Detroit address instead of a processing center where they open it and process it, and they can do it for about half the administrative costs we can do in-house. … We’d have 13,000 water bills that we have people opening.”
For more on payment options, visit the city’s homepage. Paying by phone could be done, including checking a utility balance, at 844-749-0283.
Contact Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com.
