Rice County Board Approve COVID-19 Property Tax Resolution
The Rice County Board of Commissioners Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution waving the penalty for late payment of property taxes due May 15th for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Property Tax and Elections Director Denise Anderson requested the resolution's passage.
Anderson explained, "Every county is doing something a little different. Sara has reached out to the towns, cities and schools and everybody, they still would need those tax dollars as well. So that's why we were asking for the penalty to be waved. For you to give your permission to me for us to do that for just the people that are struggling because of COVID-19."
Anderson requests all other taxpayers please pay by the May 15th deadline saying, "All that can pay please pay because obviously your tax dollars need to go to the towns, the cities, the schools." Of course the county also depends on a portion of the property tax dollars also.
The who can't pay by May 15th affected by COVID-19 will have until July 30th to pay their property taxes in Rice County. "With no penalty. Come August 1st, penalty will reset just like it would've been in May, June and July." Anderson noted.
The Property Tax and Elections Director told Commissioners her office will be reaching out to people who have contacted her office about some hardships. "If we have a record of them and say if you are struggling because of COVID-19, you've lost your job, your business was shut. You have this right."
Anderson reported as of last Friday the County was ahead of last year in property tax collections.