Waukegan residents who already pay their water bills online or create an account to make payments through an electronic device will be eligible to receive one of 10 $50 gift cards.
Juan Garcia, the city’s finance director, said Tuesday that more than half of Waukegan’s residents who are water customers are now paying their bills online and have a chance to get one of the gift cards. Of those, more than a third registered since the incentive program began on March 5.
“A lot of people are already going green,” he said. “They all have a chance to win. We hope this initiative will encourage more people to pay online.”
Waukegan residents or businesses who are water customers can register to pay their bills online through June 4 to enter the contest for a $50 gift card by registering on the city’s website with a few clicks or touches.
“Aside from the environmental impact of not having to use so much paper, you will avoid any late fees or paying for a stamp,” Garcia said.
Mayor Sam Cunningham said in an email that online billing is part of the way Waukegan is working to make services for residents and businesses more accessible, efficient and less expensive.
“We are encouraging residents to sign up for online billing,” Cunningham said. “Online billing reduces paper waste and mailing costs, allowing the city to operate more responsibly and reinvest resources back into serving the community.”
People who already pay online are eligible for a gift card regardless of when they stopped paper billing. Garcia said homeowners and businesses in Waukegan automatically qualify. Renters should check with their landlords to learn who pays the water bill.
Garcia said any customer who wants to switch to paperless billing can log onto the city’s website, scroll to the bottom, click or touch ” Quick Links, ” and then do the same with “Pay Water Bill Online.” The next step is creating an account by entering their name and account number.
Once the name and account number are furnished, Garcia said people should follow the rest of the directions to “go green” with their water bill. People can pay using a credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal.
Garcia said the water department has 20,600 customers. Of those, 11,000 are already paying online. Of those, 4,100 made the move to paperless since the incentive program started on March 5.
Business licenses can also be renewed online, as well as updating information about businesses, according to the website. Inquiries can be made to the Public Works Department. Once the request is submitted, it can be tracked electronically.
“Making government work better for the people means embracing innovative tools that save time, improve communication and make everyday tasks easier for the residents of Waukegan,” Cunningham said.
