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County staff recommend penalty for businesses that fail to file personal property returns; board takes matter under advisement
Summary
Finance staff proposed an ordinance to impose penalties on businesses that do not file business personal property returns, arguing it would improve record accuracy and reduce staff time spent estimating nonfilers; the board took the proposal under advisement and did not schedule a hearing.
Josh Crawford, representing the commissioner’s office, presented a draft ordinance that would authorize penalties for businesses that fail to file required personal property returns. Crawford said the requirement to file already exists under county code and the proposed ordinance’s purpose is to increase the accuracy of county records and reduce staff time spent producing guesstimates for nonfilers.
Board members pressed staff for specifics on workload and the commissioner’s involvement. Crawford clarified that the office’s annual processing combines multiple tasks and that staff collectively spend about 80 hours a week over a several‑month period on the filing season; he estimated roughly 30 staff hours per week are dedicated exclusively to handling noncompliance during that period. Crawford also said the commissioner has reviewed and "backs me on this 100%" and that the commissioner would retain discretion to waive penalties in extenuating circumstances.
Supervisors disagreed about whether to move forward; some said they preferred further information or the commissioner’s presence, and one member said they were not in favor of immediate action. The board ultimately took the proposal under advisement and declined to schedule a public hearing.
