A growing number of home and business owners in Martensville are choosing to pay their utility and tax bills automatically every month.
A report to the August 17 Martensville City Council meeting from the city’s Corporate Services department indicated the number of subscribers to the Tax Installment Payment Plan Service (TIPPS) and Pre-Authorized Payment (PAP) programs so far in 2021 is up over last year.
The TIPPS program allows home and business owners to pay their annual property taxes on a monthly basis directly from their bank accounts. The PAP program provides the same service for civic utility bills.
As of the end of June, the City of Martensville has 1,686 registered subscribers in its TIPPS program, compared to 1,608 for the same period in 2020.
The TIPPS subscribers’ monthly infusion into the city’s coffers in 2021 amounts to $541,980, compared to $494,688 in 2020.
The city’s PAP program currently has 629 subscribers, compared to 618 for the same period in 2020.
An increasing number of ratepayers are also choosing to use the city’s ‘e-billing’ option. According to the report, a total of 860 e-billing subscribers have signed up for the service, compared to 701 for the same period last year.
There has also been a gradual increase in the number of people subscribing to the optional organic (green bin) collection service offered by the city and provided by Loraas. A total of 204 subscribers signed up during the first six months of 2021 compared to 188 for the same period in 2020.