Yakima Launches New Online Services to Better Connect With the Community

The City of Yakima has launched new online services which make it a lot easier for citizens to pay bills, notify the city about problems, and share ideas and opinions.

Through the city’s new Online Payment Center, people can now pay water, irrigation, garbage,and sewer bills more conveniently. And an upgraded version of the Yak Back feature, which has been a longtime fixture on the City of Yakima website, now makes it simple for community members to let the city know about potholes, areas hit by graffiti, street lights that aren’t working, and other issues that need attention. Both the Online Payment Center and the enhanced Yak Back feature can be accessed directly from the city website front page.

The city provides utility services, including drinking water, irrigation, sewer, and garbage, to about 40,000 customers. Giving those customers another option for paying their bills other than in person or by postal mail was a natural transition to make.

Enhancing the quality of its customer service is one way the city is responding to the results of the 2012 Yakima Citizen Survey, which included relatively low marks in the area of public trust and accountability.

You can access the City of Yakima's website here.