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Helena City officials want input about online services

In a hurry and need to pay your water bill online? Want to e-mail Helena city crews about that tree limb lying in the street?

Local officials want to know what information or services local users might want online and recently launched an "e-government" survey.

By Jason Mohr – IR Staff Writer

http://helenair.com/articles/2004/08/16/helena/a05081604_02.txt

People often ask if they can pay taxes and utility bills online, said Sharon Haugen, Lewis and Clark County planning director. She’s also heading up a joint, city-county committee looking at e-government improvements.

Use of the city or county Web sites could lead citizens to other information, she said, which might someday include voter registration or a road maintenance schedule. The survey will continue through September.

As a first step, Lewis and Clark County will use a Florida company to allow local residents to pay property tax and utility bills, according to Karen Hruska, acting county information technology director.

Check us out online!

The company, myLocalGov.com, provides the Web site and hosts the data, she said. Ultimately, the city and county would like to have its own site, although that could take years to set up.

"There’s a ton of ways to go about it," Hruska said.

Some are already going online to make payments.

Many people have signed up for e-pay services through their bank, according to Liz Hurst, city utility billing supervisor. She’s receiving more and more payments this way.

And http://www.officialpayments.com allows taxpayers to pay by phone or by Web, albeit for a transaction fee. For example, a property tax bill of $2,000 costs $60.

Use of — and demand for — credit card payments is also expanding, county employees say.

But one thing local officials won’t be able to ease is the sometimes long line at the motor vehicle registration division. Although the service is housed in the City-County Building, the service falls under state jurisdiction.

Officials at the Motor Vehicle Division have promised to speed things up as part of what they call the "TEAM 261" project.

The idea is to automate most of the functions at the county level, according to division administrator Dean Roberts. He said the division is redoing its business and computer processes, like the use of more digital records instead of paper and microfilm.

The first thing motorists will see within the next 1 ½ years is a new type of new car permit, Roberts said. The temporary registration permit will be generated by the dealer and hang on the license plate, not the back window.

Online vehicle registration will probably follow next, Roberts said.

Some state fees such as hunting and fishing licenses, already can be paid online.

Info Box: E-government survey

http://www.ci.helena.mt.us or http://www.co.lewis-clark.mt.us

Reporter Jason Mohr can be reached at 447-4075 or [email protected].

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