The Gloucester County Treasurer’s Office has instituted a new system for processing electronic checks. Treasurer Tara L. Thomas stated that the new system will be managed by a third-party service called Official Payments Corporation.

Though this system has been in place for about four months, Thomas stressed the importance of awareness of these changes now, since the due date for first installment real estate, property and mobile home taxes is June 30.

There will be a new flat fee of $2.50 on all electronic checks processed, a press release said. Thomas explained that this fee covers the expenses for Official Payments Corporation and will only be used for that purpose. She said that budget cuts and security concerns initiated the move to this new method.

According to Thomas, the new system is more secure and modern than the in-house system that the treasurer’s office previously employed. She said that when maintaining the old system became too expensive following budget ...