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Council asks manager to research ballot question on accepting postmarks for tax payments
Summary
After staff explained a charter–statute conflict about accepting postmarks and the workload of reversing penalties (eight accounts cited), the council unanimously authorized staff to work with the city attorney on a ballot question specifying method and time of delivery for tax payments.
Staff explained that city charter language did not explicitly specify method or time of payment for taxes, which leaves the city subject to state statute that can allow postmark-dated payments. The memo recommended either accepting postmarks — which has created penalty reversals — or asking voters to specify a payment method/time. "By accepting postmarks...we have to apply the penalty as soon as, like, the next day...and then we have to reverse that penalty back" staff said, noting recent reversals.
Councilors and staff discussed practical considerations: staff said they reversed penalties on eight accounts in the last cycle after discovering the charter–statute conflict; staff and some councilors argued the U.S. Postal Service no longer consistently postmarks mail and that honoring postmarks would add manual workload and error risk. After discussion the council unanimously (5-0) passed a motion authorizing the city manager to research the issue and work with the city attorney on ballot language to specify method and time of delivery for tax payments.
