[HISTORY: Adopted by the Rockland County Legislature 6-1-2004
by Res. No. 287-2004. Amendments noted where applicable.]
Pursuant to § 5 of the General Municipal Law, the Legislature
of Rockland County hereby determines that it is in the public interest to
permit the acceptance by certain officers of the County of Rockland of credit
cards as a means of payment of taxes, fees and other charges as set forth
in § 5 of the General Municipal Law.
A.
The Legislature of Rockland County hereby authorizes
agreements with one or more financing agencies or card issuers to provide
for acceptance, by the County Clerk, the Commissioner of Finance, Commissioner
of Hospitals, Commissioner of Health, Commissioner of Mental Health and their
designees, of credit cards as a means of payment of fines, civil penalties,
rent, rates, taxes, fees, charges, revenue, financial obligations or other
amounts, including penalties, special assessments and interest, owed to the
County of Rockland.
B.
Pursuant to § 5 of the General Municipal Law,
the Legislature of Rockland County hereby determines that it is in the public
interest to permit the acceptance by the Office of Consumer Protection and
the Department of Probation of credit cards as a means of payment of civil
penalties, fines, fees, restitutions and other financial obligations and charges
as set forth in § 5 of the General Municipal Law.
[Added 8-2-2005 by Res. No. 409-2005]
The agreements referred to in this chapter shall govern the terms and
conditions upon which a credit card proffered as a means of payment of fines,
civil penalties, rent, rates, taxes, fees, charges, revenue, financial obligations
or other amounts, including penalties, special assessments and interest, shall
be accepted or declined and the manner in and conditions upon which the financing
agency or card issuer shall pay to the County of Rockland the amounts of the
fines, civil penalties, rent, rates, taxes, fees, charges, revenue, financial
obligations or other amounts, including penalties, special assessments and
interest, paid by means of a credit card pursuant to such agreement.
The agreements referred to this chapter shall provide that as a condition
for accepting payment by credit card, such person offering payment by credit
or charge card pay a service fee to the County of Rockland not to exceed the
costs incurred by the County of Rockland in connection with the credit or
charge card payment transaction, including any fee owed by the County of Rockland
to the financing agency or card issuer arising from that transaction.
The underlying debt, lien, obligation, bill, account or other amount
owed to the County of Rockland for which payment by credit card is accepted
by the County of Rockland shall not be expunged, cancelled, released, discharged
or satisfied, and any receipt or other evidence of payment shall be deemed
conditional, until the County of Rockland has received final and unconditional
payment of the full amount due from the financing agency or card issuer for
such credit card transaction.
There shall be signage at the County locations where credit card payments
will be accepted for payment of County fees or taxes which shall state that
the County will make no profit on any credit card surcharge and that the added
fee for credit card usage shall be only to cover the fees charged the County
by the specific credit card company associated with the credit card usage.
