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Kingsport official apologizes after duplicate tax notices; city pledges review and reimbursements
Summary
A Kingsport resident raised concerns about duplicate property tax bills; City Manager Chris apologized at the Oct. 7 Board meeting, said no extra payment is required and outlined steps to review controls, pursue reimbursements and modernize billing systems.
Tim Sanders urged the Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Oct. 7 to hold contractors accountable after some residents received duplicate property tax notices in the city mailing. “You screwed up,” Sanders said, arguing the city should recoup costs from any contractor errors and warning seniors could mistakenly pay twice.
City Manager Chris acknowledged the problem and apologized on behalf of the city, saying the duplication stemmed from an antiquated software process and a third-party mailing upload. “Please be assured no additional payment is required beyond the original tax bill,” Chris said, and he pledged the city would work with impacted residents to answer questions and reimburse any who paid twice.
Chris outlined immediate and near-term steps: a CFO-led review of internal procedures and system controls, expanded staff handling of calls and in-person assistance at the customer service counter, and deployment next year of a new customer information system and a new financial information system intended to modernize utility and tax billing.
During question-and-answer, staff described the application and reimbursement mechanics for the related property tax relief program, and said citizens who already paid would be reimbursed after board approval of the ordinance. Officials repeatedly emphasized they were actively contacting residents and would update online resources and flyers with guidance.
The board did not take action specifically to authorize refunds at the meeting; the city manager said staff were working to ensure individual overpayments are identified and corrected at the customer-service counter or through mail processing.
The episode prompted multiple board members to thank the manager for transparency and to ask staff to ensure safeguards so residents — particularly seniors — are not financially harmed by the mailing error.
