Parkland board declines to waive late‑payment penalties after online bank‑pay failures; vote 7–2

Several taxpayers told the Parkland School Board Dec. 2 that they initiated tax payments through their banks (including Wells Fargo) on Aug. 18 but later were notified that the district had not received the payments and were charged penalties. Mary Kimmock Keifer and Nadal Karaj Shey described bank‑generated checks that were withdrawn from their accounts and later returned by the bank; both asked the board to waive the penalty assessment.

Administration and legal counsel told the board that state tax collection law and school code require consistent application across taxpayers and that, in the district’s practice, a postmark or other proof that the payment was mailed prior to the deadline is required to accept late payments without penalty. A member of administration summarized the guidance: “The law does not permit the board to waive penalties in these particular circumstances; the district requires proof of postmark date to accept payments after the specified period.” After discussion and additional public comment about the practical difficulty of obtaining a postmark from a bank‑issued check, the board voted 7–2 to not waive the fees and penalties.

Board members expressed sympathy for affected taxpayers and urged them to follow up with their banks and the tax collector; the administration said that if the tax collector later receives the checks dated before the discount period, penalties would be refunded. The motion not to waive penalties passed 7 to 2.