SC governments could be banned from charging fee

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina’s towns and counties would no longer be able to charge taxpayers a processing fee for credit card payments under a proposed ban in the state budget.

The House budget-writing committee defeated Tuesday an effort to remove the ban from its 2014-15 budget plan.

Republican Rep. B.R. Skelton of Six Mile argued the ban would cut into Pickens County’s tax collections, since the fee is charged by the processing vendor, Paypal, not the county. He says it’s a convenience fee.

Democratic Rep. Leon Stavrinakis says the fees tack on extra for many who can’t afford to pay the full tab. He says the option saves governments money in collection processing.

GOP Rep. Jim Merrill says some local governments are profiting from the fees, and that’s wrong.