Tuesday, March 31, 2026 |
Photo – Hanna Town Hall – Bigfoot99 file photo
Hanna residents will now be charged a fee for paying their utility bills online, no matter which payment method they choose.
During the March 10th Hanna Town Council meeting, Mayor Charlie George announced that the town had switched to a new online utility payment service. Previously, Hanna residents could pay their water and sewer bills through the online bill‑pay platform Doxo. While credit card users were charged a fee to use the service, residents could link their bank account to the program and avoid any additional charges.
Speaking at the March 10th meeting, Town Clerk Vivian Gonzales said the new service, offered through a company called Nuvei, gives residents more ways to pay their monthly utility bills, but the service charges a processing fee no matter which payment method is used.
Clerk Gonzales said that under Doxo, automatic payments were always processed on the 8th of the month. With the Nuvei Citizen Portal, residents can choose any day for their automatic payment to be withdrawn. The town clerk said residents must create an account in the new portal to pay their water and sewer bills online. Alternatively, payments will continue to be accepted at town hall.
Clerk Gonzales added that the Nuvei Citizen Portal can send text messages and emails about upcoming bill due dates and community announcements, such as water main breaks or special meetings.
A Hanna resident questioned the added fee to pay utility bills online through a linked bank account, saying the option had been free under Doxo. Clerk Gonzales explained that the town was required to include the charge when it updated its billing software.
Hanna Treasurer Ann Calvert said that during the COVID pandemic, the town covered credit card fees so residents could pay their utility bills from home. However, absorbing the fees cost the town several thousand dollars a year.
Hanna officials reiterated that the payment processing service, not the town, is responsible for the added fees. Residents may also pay their utility bills at town hall or use the outside drop box for cash or check payments after normal business hours.
