Village residents can now say "Charge It" when paying taxes

WARWICK-Pay your taxes and earn frequent flyer miles? That is a reality this tax season in the Village of Warwick. The village is signing a contract with Official Payments Corporation to accept credit card payments for village property, water and sewer taxes. Residents who use the new credit card system to pay their property taxes will be charged an additional three percent. Those charging water and sewer bills will be charged $6.50 additional. Trustee George McManus resurrected this idea last month, which had previously been discussed one year ago. The village dropped the idea then because of banking fees that would be assessed against the village. McManus found Official Payments Corporation, which provides this service without transaction fees to the village. Warwick will join about 20 other municipalities in New York that have already implemented the credit cards system. The system can be accessed either by phone or the Internet. You won't be able to walk into the village Hall and charge it. And the village would get its money sooner. Typically, checks deposited are paid to the village in about four days. With the credit card system, the village will have its money in just 24 hours.