COMPTROLLER MODERNIZATION EFFORTS SUPPORTS PROGRAMS FOR SENIORS

 

Erie County Comptroller Stefan Mychajliw continues to modernize the Office of Erie County Comptroller and provide greater efficiencies for how Automatic Clearing House (ACH) payments are made to municipalities, school districts, vendors, and service organizations.  

 

This program continues to expand, streamlining the way these various entities receive their share of sales tax revenues and payments from Erie County.  This modernization expansion means programs that benefit seniors are processed for agencies quickly and efficiently and cuts down on the paper processing of checks.

 

The Office of Erie County Comptroller’s efforts to expand its ACH program is better for the environment and cuts back bureaucratic red tape to ensure programs that serve the elderly and poor receive their funds right away, instead of waiting for a paper check to be processed.

 

“I’m proud to have brought the Office of Erie County Comptroller from the ‘Stone Age’ to the ‘Information Age.’ More payments are processed electronically than ever before. This means our partners that provide programs for seniors can receive those funds right away, rather than wait for the processing of a paper check. It also cuts down on the potential for fraud,” said Comptroller Mychajliw.

 

The Office of Erie County Comptroller had previously worked with towns, villages, and school districts to enroll them in the direct deposit program.  Now the Comptroller’s Office is reaching out to mental health and senior service agencies to enroll them in the program, as well, so that they can receive their funding in a timely manner.

 

“These organizations provide needed services to seniors and the less fortunate that are struggling during this pandemic.  Allowing them to receive their payments quickly ensures there is no disruption in service, and people can continue receiving the assistance they need,” said Comptroller Mychajliw.

 

Agencies like Catholic Charities, BestSelf Behavioral Health, Heritage Centers, Suicide Prevention and Crisis Services, and WNY Independent Living are among those who receive funding from Erie County to provide important services, and to whom the Comptroller reached out to enroll in the program to receive their payments more quickly.  

 

Over the past few years the Erie County Comptroller’s Office has made numerous advancements to streamline the way business is conducted:

 

• The OnBase electronic payment program ensures the approximately 50,000 invoices the office handles online every year are paid, even when government operations are being run with minimal staff.  This reduced the number of steps to process a payment from 53 to 6.

• Signed up nine community colleges to the ACH program.

• Enrolled up 26 school districts to the ACH program.

• Registered 39 cities, towns, and villages to the ACH program.

• Signed up approximately 800 vendors with the popular supplier pay program. Businesses voluntarily sign up to expedite electronic payments, rather than wait for a paper check.

• Earned $271,951.16 for taxpayers last year as part of online vendor payment program, an initiative that continues to realize savings for county government.

• Centralizing banking operations, improving efficiencies in the process.

 

“We are once again expanding this electronic payment service.  I am proud to improve efficiencies and reduce costs.  This is just the next step in making it easier to do business with Erie County,” concluded Comptroller Mychajliw.