Paying tax with credit card shouldn’t trigger fee, Bradley official says

CLEVELAND, Tenn. — A Bradley County commissioner is seeking to end the 2 percent processing fee charged to people who pay their property tax with a credit card.

“It’s double taxation and class discrimination,’’ Commissioner Mark Hall said during a Monday night commission work session.

Commissioners voted last year to let property owners use credit cards to pay taxes.

Although most people don’t use cards, Commissioner Connie Wilson said those that do are more likely to be elderly homeowners. She said people with mortgages often put tax payments in escrow through they year. People who pay a lump sum, she said, probably own their property outright.

But some commissioners said that if individual credit-card users don’t pay the processing fee, the county picks up the tab. Some wondered if all taxpayers, not just those who use credit cards, should pay the fee.

“I would make an assumption, and it might be a bad assumption, but if we offered no-charge use of a credit card, several more people might take advantage of that,” Commissioner Ed Elkins said. “Right now, as I understand it, it is offered as a convenience and there was no intention it would be offered with any view for them not paying (the fee).”

Mr. Hall said the fee has generated $2,545.23 since it began. Even if that amount doubles, he asked commissioners to support the idea.

“I guarantee you this county spends more than that on coffee and creamer in a year,’’ he said.

Many people use credit cards because they don’t have enough to pay the bill at once or they want to make monthly payments as part of their budget, he said.

Commissioner Ben Atchley said the commission also could reconsider the whole issue of using credit cards to pay taxes.

The commission is scheduled to vote April 7 whether to end the fee.