October 28, 2009 > Department of revenue extends collection service hours Department of revenue extends collection service hours Submitted By Susan Ping Wong The County of Santa Clara Department of Revenue (DOR) will open for an extra two hours to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays. The one-year pilot program will last until August 2010. Evening hours will make it easier for clients to make payments and calls related to court-imposed fines and bills owed to County agencies such as Valley Medical Center. Opening hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. will continue on Monday and Wednesday through Friday. "The County must strive to meet its residents' needs as efficiently and effectively as possible," said Supervisor Ken Yeager, Chair of the Board's Finance and Government Operations Committee. "Increasing collection-services hours one day per week is a simple solution that maintains cost-effective operations while better serving residents who are hard-pressed for time." The County of Santa Clara Department of Revenue provides agencies and departments within the County with professional billing and collection services. Services range from explanation of client charges, negotiating payment arrangements, delinquent noticing, collection pursuit through client follow-up, small claims action and lawsuits, to accounting and distribution of revenue collected to appropriate funds and entities. Accounts include a variety of charges, from money owed for using the public hospital to fines or restitution imposed by a judge, such as penalties related to traffic violations, driving under the influence or fees from Family Court services. Annually, approximately 78,000 people make payments through the Department of Revenue services. The office processes nearly 313,000 payments, amounting to $79M annual revenue which is collected and distributed to the appropriate agencies or departments that provide the myriad County, city and state government services. "Clients, who prefer to visit or call our office but have limited time to get away from work, tell us they welcome the longer Tuesdays which we call the DOR Late Day," said Susan Ping Wong, Director of Revenue Collection for Santa Clara County. "This is definitely a win-win situation. The extra hours on Tuesdays also allow our collection services staff to reach more residents by phone, after the end of the work day." Clients can pay by mail and in person. A drop-box for non-cash payments is located by Building 2 of the Government Service Center for payments outside business hours. An interactive, voice-response, telephone system is also available to assist clients with information about the office and particular accounts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in either English or Spanish. Office hours, payment options, directions to the office, mailing address and a list of holidays when the office is closed can be accessed. Clients may also verify their last payment received, account balance and the amount and due date of their next payment. For more information, such as Frequently Asked Questions or how to make credit card payments, visit the Department of Revenue's web site at www.sccgov.org/portal/site/dor County of Santa Clara Department of Revenue County Government Service Center 1555 Berger Drive, Building 2, San Josˇ (408) 282-3200 Office hours: Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri - 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last payment at 4:45 p.m.). Tue - 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (last payment at 6:45 p.m.).