An important goal for any finance official is to improve the availability of
funds. The more quickly funds can become available funds, the sooner the
government can make use of those funds. Improved technology has allowed
finance officials to maximize the availability of funds by electronic funds
transfers. For example, governments that collect property taxes through an
escrow agent can receive funds electronically and thus speed up the availability
of funds.Many states have implemented electronic programs and pay
local governments via the ACH system with next-day availability. This payment
method is cost-effective for both the sender and receiver of funds.