Commissioners OK credit card use for counter payments

YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County commissioners approved a resolution this morning enabling credit and debit card acceptance over the counter for the first time by county courts and agencies for such things as fines, court costs, fees and tax payments.

Besides county and common pleas courts, county agencies authorized to accept those cards will be the auditor’s, treasurer’s, recorder’s, sheriff’s, prosecutor’s, coroner’s, commissioners’, engineer’s and sanitary engineer’s offices, board of health and auto title department.

The credit card companies’ service fees would be paid by the people electing to pay by credit card, said Gina Bricker, the assistant county prosecutor who drafted the resolution. The resolution says that convenience surcharge can’t exceed 3 percent of the amount being paid.

When the program is launched: “You would be able to pay for any county expense through the use of a credit card, including auto title fees,” Bricker said.