(a)
Each
officer employed by the city who, as part of that employment, collects
fees, fines, court costs, or other charges from members of the public
that are due the city is authorized to accept credit cards as payments
for such fees, fines, court costs and other charges.
(b)
For
each fee, fine, court cost, or other charge that is paid by credit
card, the officer collecting same shall also collect a processing
fee in an amount equal to three percent of the amount of the fee,
fine, court cost, or other charge, as authorized by section 132.003(b),
Texas Local Government Code.
(c)
If
for any reason a payment by credit card is not honored by the credit
card company on which the funds are drawn, the officer shall collect
from the member of the public who attempted to pay by credit card
an additional service charge in an amount equal to the fee then being
charged for the collection of a check drawn on a account with insufficient
funds, as authorized by section 132.004, Texas Local Government Code.
(d)
The
mayor shall be authorized on behalf of the city to contract with a
company that issues credit cards to collect and seize credit cards
issued by the company that are outdated or otherwise unauthorized.
Such contract may provide that the city will charge the company a
fee for the return of such credit cards, as authorized by section
132.005, Texas Local Government Code.
(e)
Processing
fees and service charges collected pursuant to this article shall
be deposited in the general fund of the city, as provided by section
132.006, Texas Local Government Code.
(Ordinance 1113 adopted 10/1/09)
In accordance with section 140.009 of the Texas Local Government
Code there shall be imposed an additional fee of thirty percent on
all debts and accounts receivable, i.e.: fines, fees, restitution,
other debts, and costs that are more than sixty days past due and
have been referred to a private firm for collection.
(Ordinance 1138 adopted 8/26/13)
The city council hereby elects:
(1)
To
have chapter 252 of the Texas Local Government Code supersede section
7.14 of the city charter and any other provision of the city charter
which may address purchasing procedures that may conflict with chapter
252; and
(2)
That
chapter 252 of the Texas Local Government Code, in its entirety, shall
govern the purchasing procedures of the city from the date of passage
of the ordinance from which this section derives.
(Ordinance 1175 adopted 8/7/17)
