CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Tuesday night, city council members in Chesapeake unanimously approved a measure to extend the payment deadline for property tax bills by several weeks.
The date, previously June 5, is extended to June 30 after alleged delays by City Treasurer Barbara Carraway in mailing out the tax bills. The new, extended window allows people to avoid late fines and fees if they pay their taxes within that time frame.
According to city documents, those fees can be as high as an added 10% to a taxpayers overall bill.
City Manager Christopher Price noted this is the third year in a row with delays from the treasurer's office impacting Chesapeake taxpayers. According to the approved docket item, the new June 30 deadline allows the city to keep the financial process within the fiscal year.
City Council member Amanda Newins introduced a measure-- which eventually passed--- to change some of the language of the extension: a recommendation for the city treasurer's office to proactively issue refunds for taxpayers who inadvertently and unknowingly overpaid the late fees for their bills.
"We extended the due date until June 30, so you would not have to pay penalties and late fees. But if you did because you paid accidentally or didn’t know, you wouldn’t get a refund automatically, you’d have to request it. I thought that was an unreasonable burden to put on the taxpayer," she told 13News Now Tuesday.
Based on previous collections through this process (2021) this decision means the city could forego an estimate $250,000, which "should not impact" the city's ability to realize its budgeted revenue for the fiscal year.
City leaders noted updated there will be updated messaging from the city to let taxpayers know of this change.