AUBURN — Residents hoping to pay their property taxes or register their cars this week should avoid Auburn Hall on Friday.

City staff will be upgrading the MUNIS computer system in the Tax Collector’s and City Clerk’s offices on Friday, May 6. 

Both offices will close at the normal time on Thursday and remain closed all day Friday and over the weekend. The offices will reopen for normal hours on Monday.

Renee Bogart, Auburn’s manager of Information and Communications Technology, said the work is just part of a standard software upgrade.

“It’s a maintenance upgrade that clears the way to do a bigger upgrade in the fall,” Bogart said.

Finance Director Tracy Roy said this version of the software will let clerks in Financial Services and the Tax Collector’s Office link directly to financial information. For example, the clerks will be able to pull up the latest automobile values right in the program.

“It also includes tax liens and other property tax information right there,” Roy said.

Bogart said the computer upgrade should take a few hours, but staff is not taking chances.

“That’s why we chose to close the office for the day,” she said. “Everyone will be there, but just doing non-computer-related jobs. We’re not giving anyone the day off just for this.”

Bogart said the city’s online financial services will be available while the office itself is closed. Residents can go to the city’s website, www.auburnmaine.gov, to renew vehicle registrations, purchase hunting and fishing licenses, and renew boat and ATV registrations. They can also make tax payments online as well.

staylor@sunjournal.com