Practical . . .
. . . Providing Some Big City Services on a Shoestring Budget

If all of our property owners lived right here in Nevada County then it wouldn't be so obvious that rural counties have less resources to provide services. But, that just isn't the case.

Nevada County property owners live all over the world! They are very sophisticated and fully expect our payment services to keep pace with modern times. How can I do that on a shoestring budget?

Remembering some sound advice from my childhood has always been helpful: Stop, Look, Listen!

I was not the only govenment official facing this problem. The smaller counties were baffled, too.

IRS was facing the same challenge of providing sophisticated financial transaction services. How would they resolve the many legal hurdles?
. . . I Offered Credit Card Processing,
Just Like IRS

Sure enough, IRS managed to maneauver through the matrix of legal and financial hurdles.

Their biggest problem was the same as mine. Without having any authority to accept less than the full amount of taxes owing, how could they offset the very expensive credit card processing? It wouldn't be fair to the rest of the taxpayers to foot that expense.

IRS found a company called Official Payments. This company offered to a go-between service, one that sits between the taxpayer and the tax collector. Official Payments confirms the validity of the credit card, and could offer one more service that we couldn't: They could legally charge a processing fee, leaving the tax payment at 100% of value.

I waited one year to see if IRS would be sued. They weren't. Then I met with Official Payments and the rest, as they say, is history!
. . . Could I Offer Free Online Payment Processing?

This topic came up as I was visiting with the County's Chief Information Officer, Steve Monaghan.

Steve had seen a product called Virtual Check and he recommended that I contact that company for more information. I did, and I met Mr. T.J. Walker, owner of Software Solutions.

Mr. Walker explained that unlike other e-check providers, his system did not expire after having used it beyond a set number of transactions. For less than $400, in total, I placed Virtual Check on my office's website four years ago. It was an instant success!

There is no processing fee, and it can be used world-wide as long as the bank account is US based and the funds are drawn on US dollars.

I told Los Angeles County's Tax Collector, Mark Saladino, about Virtual Check. I'm proud to say that L.A. County started using it this year!
Committee to Elect E. Christina Dabis
as Treasurer & Tax Collector, Nevada County, California
Campaign I.D. 820954
Janie Marini, Treasurer
11709 Sutton Way, Suite B, Grass Valley, CA 95945-5357
Phone: (530) 273-9581



Re-elect
Chris Dabis
June 6, 2006
Additional Duties:
  Debt Collection

As of January 2005 I accepted the offer from the Board of Supervisors, through our CEO Mr. Rick Haffey, to administer the County's debt.

The County has debt? Yes, the same as any merchant would have, we have people that receive services and fail to pay for them. Or pay for services and then their check bounces.

Our first task was to work on Transient Occupancy Tax, a 10% that is levied on lodging rentals of 30-days or less. Although this tax has been in effect since 1961, people were ignorant, or willingly ignorant, about its existance. We have tripled the number of TOT accounts in one year. We have conducted 10 5-year audits.

The second phase focused on court cases starting with the most serious debts. Of those cases, 50% of the debtors paid their debt before going to court. The remaining 50% went to court where we obtained judgments against the person and their assets.

The current phase involves those businesses which have failed to pay for their Health & Safety permit. Their operating permit, and the inspection, are mandatory by State law. Those businesses that fail to pay when presented with their third-and-final demand will be closed under the State's Health & Safety Codes.

The last phase will relieve most County departments of their billing and collection processes. My offices are well geared for that function; that is my area of expertise. When this is completed the departments can focus on their true areas of expertise.