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County software error left several special assessments off Hot Springs tax notices; city told it may be made whole
Summary
A software upload error caused several special-assessment installments to be omitted from 2024–25 tax notices; county staff said they will pursue the software vendor, work with commissioners and aim to make the city whole while clarifying amounts and timelines.
Sue Ganji provided the council with an overview of errors in the city’s special-assessment billing for 2023–24 (pay 2024) and 2024–25 (pay 2025). Ganji said the county’s software upload created project records with the same identifier for two taxing districts, which caused one taxing district’s assessments not to appear on property tax notices.
"The first upload is what made it onto the tax bills, which means that the taxing district 6 did not make it on the tax bills," Ganji said, describing the sequence of uploads and a limitation in the new software that prevented two projects from sharing the same project name.
She outlined affected assessments and amounts as they were presented in the meeting packet: Boulder Falls (Taxing District 61) appeared on bills totaling $17,008.48; portions of the Boulder Falls total were not uploaded and remain under review. For the Sixth Street water district, $403.19 was uploaded while $8,001.81 was not uploaded; Martin Street sewer uploaded $233.91 while $2,105.17 was not uploaded; Martin Street water uploaded $281.76 while $200,535.77 was not uploaded. Ganji said the office will file a claim with the software provider and work with county commissioners to resolve the issue.
The council asked whether the missing sums are due this tax year; Ganji said the amounts are for this year's installment and that she has spoken with the commissioners about timing. "I've talked to the commissioners, and I'm hoping we'll have at least the Martin Street and the Sixth on our next agenda," she said. She said Boulder Falls will require additional work with the vendor and other parties.
Councilors and staff said the county has apologized and will pursue correction and payment; Ganji said the county will aim to make the city whole. One councilor summarized the shortfall as "about $69,000," to which Ganji replied, "That's about right." The office committed to update the council at a future meeting when amounts and timelines are clearer.
No formal council action to change city finances was taken during the report; staff said they will return with updates and planned corrective steps.
