Your Cash is no good here.
All the paper money that I have states ” This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private”.
Except,
the City of Methuen does not accept cash from it’s citizens to pay their debts to the City.
The City website states:
“Cash Payments No Longer Accepted:
As of August 1, 2010, cash payments will no longer be accepted at the Searles Building (City Hall) or the Quinn Building (City Offices).
Checks only will be accepted.
Credit or debit card payments can be made via the Online Bill Payment links on this page.”
I don’t recall a vote or ordinance or executive order that made this decision.
Let’s hope I don’t have to read this literally; “cash payments will no longer be accepted at ” shouldn’t mean we have to meet surreptitiously to pay our debts in cash.
(Shhh, meet me behind the High School, I want to give you cash to pay my water bill this year.)
So I can’t or couldn’t give the City even $1.00 in cash to pay down a debt.
If one makes a Freedom of Information request, you cannot pay for the information in cash.
Regardless of the cost: $1.00 or $100.00.
What was the rationale behind this?
Has City office space been robbed? Targeted?
Why is cash no longer legal tender in Methuen? Who decided this?
Are we going to issue our own script? Backed by the good faith of the City?
May or may not be a good move but there should be some explanation for this decision.
Arbitrary or capricious should not be acceptable.
We only request a discourse and explanation for this.