Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Payments Cash Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tax Assessor-Collector asks residents to donate spare change as penny shortage affects cash payments
Summary
Awyna Sanchez, Parmer County Tax Assessor-Collector, told commissioners that the discontinuation of minting pennies has left the office without pennies for making change; a required $82.42 cash permit prompted a policy allowing the public to donate small change to three designated entities and forgo change under $0.05. Commissioners authorized the policy.
Awyna Sanchez, Parmer County Tax Assessor-Collector, told the Commissioner's Court on June 23 that the national discontinuation of penny minting is causing practical problems for her office when accepting cash payments.
Sanchez said one permit requires a cash payment of $82.42 and the office currently has no pennies; local banks reported they have none available for customers. She presented a sign for public display and proposed a process allowing customers to donate small change to three designated local entities rather than receiving pennies in change. The policy would mean the office will not return change amounts less than $0.05 when pennies are unavailable.
Commissioner Kenny White moved to allow the Tax Assessor to enact the proposed process; Commissioner Charles Wilkins seconded and the motion passed by majority vote. The court recorded that bonds for Sonia Gomez and the City of Friona were not presented at this meeting and will be brought back when received, but the penny policy applies to daily cash handling by the Tax Assessor-Collector's office.
The new practice is intended as a temporary administrative measure to address the immediate lack of pennies for making exact cash change. The county clerk's office will post the sign and the public is expected to be notified at the point of payment.
