CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Clarksville Gas and Water Department reintroduced an ordinance at Thursday’s City Council meeting that would add a new fee for clients who pay their bill with credit or debit cards. That fee would be set at 3% of the payment amount, with a minimum amount of $1.75 per transaction.
The proposal comes a month after Clarksville Gas and Water asked to set the fee at 2.95% of the payment amount, with a minimum amount of $1.95 per transaction. However, after further research into the matter, Clarksville Gas and Water General Manager Mark Riggins asked the council to hold off on the ordinance until further notice, which has led to the department’s current proposal.
The reason Clarksville Gas and Water even proposed the ordinance in the first place is because the city had to absorb $700,000 in credit and debit card fees last year. If the ordinance doesn’t pass and the modifications aren’t made in 2023, the city is estimated to absorb around $880,000, according to a previous comment by Riggins.
“The Clarksville Gas and Water Department is trying their best to service our customers, while not putting too much of the onus on our lower-end residential customers versus the large amount commercial customers would be using,” Councilperson Stacey Streetman said during last night’s meeting.
Streetman also said customers would have to pay 2% of the payment amount when going through a customer service representative to pay their bill. There would be no minimum amount per transaction when using this payment method.
Here are some other additional options to avoid paying a fee on your payment:
- Paying with cash, a check, money order or bank draft at the Clarksville Gas and Water office.
- Paying through an ACH (Automated Clearing House) online instead of plugging in a credit or debit card.
The Clarksville City Council will look to vote on the ordinance come Thursday, Nov. 2 and if it passes, it is set to be implemented on Feb. 1, 2024.