MURRAY AND CLAVIN UNVEIL “EZ-PAY”

MURRAY AND CLAVIN UNVEIL “EZ-PAY”, LONG ISLAND’S FIRST DRIVE-THRU TAX PAYMENT OFFICE

Although Hempstead Town officials have no control over the school taxes bills that property owners have just received, Supervisor Kate Murray and Receiver of Taxes Don Clavin have come up with a more convenient way for residents to deal with the tax payment chore, unveiling Long Island’s first “drive-thru” payment office.

“Hempstead Town has no control nor do we receive any portion of school tax payments that are currently being collected,” stated Murray. “However, we are making life a little easier, giving residents the option of paying bills from the comfort of their own cars.”

Murray and Clavin said they came up with the “drive-thru“ concept during one of their many “customer service”- brainstorming sessions. The focus of these conversations is to make government operate more efficiently and in a business savvy and customer friendly manner.

“For years, the private sector has employed “drive-thru” convenience for food service, banking and pharmacies, among other areas,” observed Clavin. “Shouldn’t government be providing the same types of ‘customer-friendly’ innovations to serve taxpayers even better?”

While Clavin’s office noted that the “drive-thru” is a first among Long Island towns, he offered that the service might even be a first in the state. His staff is not aware of any other “drive-thru” windows throughout New York.

During the current tax collection period, the Hempstead “EZ-Pay” office located behind the tax office located at 200 North Franklin Street in Hempstead Village, will be accepting payments weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. (October 15 - November 13). During future tax billing cycles, the “drive-thru” will be open weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., during the last 10 days of the tax collection period. Highly visible signs will direct residents to the “EZ-Pay” drive-thru window and indicate when mobile payments are being accepted.

Forms of payment accepted at the “EZ-Pay” window include checks and money orders. Residents must bring their tax bill stub to utilize the new service.

The town’s “drive-thru” is only the latest in an extensive series of “customer friendly” options that Murray and Clavin have developed to make paying taxes more convenient. Satellite tax offices, extended office hours, a mobile tax payment facility, on-line payment service, credit card acceptance and the newly implemented e-check service are among the tax payment conveniences that town officials have established.

Murray and Clavin explained that the new office will require no additional cost to taxpayers. Staffers assigned to duties inside the tax office will be redeployed to the “drive-thru” during tax collection periods.

“A guiding principle in establishing all of the options for payments has been that there will be no increased cost for taxpayers,” said Murray. “By redeploying personnel and instituting work shifts we’ve been able to accomplish that goal.”