Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Monroe staff explains deferred assessments, liens and collection options for water-main projects
Summary
Town staff described the manual deferred-assessment process used in previous projects: semiannual billing, lien placement on non‑participating properties, and foreclosure as a last-resort collection tool. Councilors emphasized the need to identify eligible properties and refine billing procedures before formal authorization.
Town staff described how deferred assessments have been handled in earlier projects: the town mails periodic statements (the example given was semiannual bills), places liens on properties that defer payment, and has used foreclosure in the past to collect unpaid assessments. The moderator noted the process is manual and that Heidi handles the accounting on a non‑automated basis; staff said liens are repaid when a property is sold.
Council members probed eligibility rules and statutory interest on unpaid amounts, and asked staff to provide a clearer, possibly automated billing approach. They also requested criteria for who qualifies for a deferred assessment under the town ordinance and state law to ensure vulnerable homeowners (for example, elderly residents on fixed income) are handled according to the ordinance.
