County web site aids payments, research

Stephens County taxpayers may be able to pay their next property tax bill by credit card, thanks to a new Web site.

At Monday’s meeting of the Stephens County commissioners, the board approved a contract with Red River Web Design to setup, host and maintain a Web site for the Stephens County treasurer.

Eventually, said Stephens County Treasurer Janice Graham, it will allow the county to accept a tax payment by credit card.

“We currently are not set up to accept any electronic payment,” she noted.

When the system is operational, paying by credit card will cost a taxpayer a little bit more, she added.

“We have to have the full amount owed for taxes, and we have to pay the credit card company’s processing fees, so there will be an extra charge, called a convenience fee, added on,” she explained.

The site will also be a time saver for real estate professionals and abstract offices, as it allows access to a property’s legal description.

“You can look up, online, any of the information available to you here at the counter in the courthouse,” explained Graham.

The Web site: www.okcountytreasurers.com, also hosts the records for several other counties.

For the service, Stephens County treasurer’s office will pay Red River Web Design a $1,500 set-up fee and an annual maintenance fee of $2,000.

Graham’s office also submitted another item on the commissioners’ agenda Monday, for the re-sale of county-owned property on E Street in Duncan.

The lot, said Graham, had reverted to county property due to a delinquent tax bill. An offer made on the property was submitted to the commissioners, who approved the sale.

According to Graham, property that is four years delinquent on property taxes reverts to county property and is offered for sale at auction. The annual auction is held each June.

Property not sold at the auction remains county property until another buyer comes forward.