Joliet moving to online bill paying service for city utilities

Joliet residents will soon be able to use digital banking to pay their city utility bills online, a shift the city says will save an estimated $25,000 a year in costs.

”The program is designed to allow our residents to pay their water, sewer and refuse bills electronically through their own banks online account platform. This is the same type of service that other utilities such as Nicor Gas and Commonwealth Edison use,” Joliet Finance Director Kevin Sing said in a news release from the city.

“This protects a resident’s private information, eliminates late fees or lost checks, and provides residents the ability to schedule payment for a specific date. Overall, a safe and secure way to pay bills without creating a new login.”

The city bills more than 50,000 accounts monthly and the new program will save the city at least 40 cents a transaction when residents use this service, according to the city. The concept was brought to the city’s Finance Committee chaired by council member Pat Mudron and comprised of council members Larry Hug and Sherri Reardon, according to the release.

The committee unanimously recommended the approval of the measure which was approved by the full City Council at Tuesday’s meeting. The new program would take effect in early fall.

”We are pleased to offer this service to residents as a means to improve our customer service while reducing expenses for the city,” City Manager Beth Beatty said in the release.