HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - City Council - 07/28/2011 40.
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southburlington
VERMONT
AGENDA
SOUTH BURLINGTON CITY COUNCIL
City Hall Conference Room
575 Dorset Street
SOUTH BURLINGTON, VERMONT
Special Session 7:00 P.M. Thursday , July 28, 2011
1) Agenda Review: Additions, deletions or changes in order of agenda items.
2) Review of Public Input and Possible Adoption of Interim By-laws.
3) ***Review and Possibly Vote on Penalties for Late/Incorrect Homestead
Declarations as Now Specified in Act 45 of the 2011 Legislative Session.
4) Sign disbursement orders.
5) Other Business.
6) Consider entering executive session to discuss personnel, contract negotiations and
litigation.
7) Adjourn.
Respectfully Submitted:
Sanford I. Miller, City Manager
*** Attachments Included
See Meeting Participation Guidelines on other side
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State of Vermont Agency of Administration
Department of Taxes
133 State Street •
Montpelier, VT o5633-14oi •
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CyC0 �
MEMORANDUM JUL 182011
• To: Selectboards and City Councils • _ gy
From: William E. Johnson, Director, Pr tt y Valiluation and Review Division
pate: July 11, 2011 •
Subject: Penalties for late filed Homestead Declarations •
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When the Legislature eliminated the requirement of annual filing of hoimestead declarations •
during the 2010 session, it also increased the penalty for either filing a declaration for a property
that is not a homestead or failing to declare for a property that is a homestead. The higher.
penalties are effective for the 2011'tax year (also, fiscal year 2012): 'In the 2011 session the
Legislature clarified the new, higher penalty provisions and also added language that provides all
municipalities with the discretion to assess or not assess the penalty. This discretion may be
exercised townwide for all taxpayers who are subject to the penalty or for specific taxpayers.
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Electronic information from the Tax Department concerning who is subject to a penalty will be
sent to municipalities throughout the period from April 18, 2011 until September 15, 2011. The
. information should be downloaded by the Listers and used to make changes to the grand list. .
Town Treasurers can then use this information to issue revised tax bills that can, at the Town's
discretion, include a penalty amount.
Municipalities have to the discretion to assess or not assess the penalties.
In discussing.the assessment of homestead declaration penalties, Act 45 of the 2011 session .
amended 32•V.S.A. §54•10(g) to read, "the municipality shall issue a corrected tax bill that may
include a penalty." (emphasis added)
Since this decision affects the town revenues, it is recommended that the selectboard set a
consistent policy regarding the circumstances under which penalties may or may not be waived
and inform the person or persons involved with the tax billing of that policy.
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http://tax.vermont.gov