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Supervisors question cost and effectiveness of mandatory property-tax mailings and newspaper notices
Summary
Board members urged legislative changes to state publication and mailing rules, citing high postage costs for notices sent to parcels and limited public reach of local newspapers.
During the budget review, board members raised concerns about state-mandated publication and parcel-mailing requirements for notices tied to property taxes and agendas. Speaker 1 questioned the cost-benefit of sending mailed notices to every parcel and paying newspaper publication fees that many residents do not read.
"These mailings to every parcel," Speaker 1 said, arguing the county’s small-scale cost is disproportionate to public engagement. Speaker 5 and others suggested alternatives, including collecting email addresses, using a countywide website or an online public forum and reducing reliance on twice-weekly local print runs that often miss rural delivery schedules.
Supervisors noted postage increases (quoted in the discussion as rising from roughly $0.53 to $0.73 per item) and the cumulative expense of property-tax mailings. The board tentatively agreed to budget $15,000 for postage while asking staff and the legislature to consider statutory changes allowing digital notice options or consolidated mailing procedures.
The board did not take formal action in this session but directed staff to track costs and follow up on potential statutory fixes with legislators or statewide associations.
