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Royalton staff propose two-installment property-tax schedule, residents ask about cash flow
Summary
Article 2 would authorize the treasurer to accept property taxes in two installments (due Nov. 6, 2026 and March 26, 2027) with 1% monthly interest and an 8% penalty; the town treasurer supports the change but residents raised concerns about department cash flow and timing of school tax disbursements.
Article 2 would allow the town treasurer to collect real and personal property taxes in two installments with due dates on or before Nov. 6, 2026 and March 26, 2027, with delinquent taxes subject to 1% interest per month and an 8% penalty from the due date. The Select Board framed the proposal as an option to make payments easier for taxpayers; a board member said the town treasurer had "chimed in" that splitting payments could help residents who struggle to pay in a single installment.
Residents and board members pressed for details about cash flow and departmental budgeting. One attendee asked whether splitting payments would create timing problems for large appropriations (fire department budgets, contracts and school tax remittances); the board said staff (Rita, the town treasurer) had discussed dispersing school taxes twice a year and that precise appropriation timing would be confirmed before implementation. "The reasoning is... it's come up before," a Select Board speaker said when explaining why the option was proposed.
