Item:
Title
Budget Ordinance Amendment No. 21BCC000014 Allocating $206,550 of General Fund Fund Balance to Support the Long-time Homeowner Tax Deferment Program
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: August 10, 2020
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to approve Budget Ordinance Amendment No.21BCC0000014 appropriating General Fund Fund Balance to support the Long-time Homeowner Tax Deferment Program. The program was approved during the August 3, 2020 BOCC work session. Under this proposal, a Durham County property owner who has a household income of 30% or less of AMI may file an agreement with Durham County Tax Administration (DCo Tax) for a perpetual payment plan. Once a qualifying household income is brought forth and verified, DCo Tax will establish a payment agreement with the qualifying owner that limits the amount of property taxes paid to 4% of annual household income. The funding for this will revert to annual appropriations within the Tax Department in subsequent years.
Under this program the need for additional staff resources shifts to a different division: Collections. Establishing payment agreements would be a less-involved annual process. Setting up the initial payment agreement would be most time consuming, then annual flagging in our system, monitoring the situation and applying the more frequent monthly payments would be necessary. Three positions are required to staff the program to include (3) additional delinquent collectors totaling $186,300 for salaries and benefits. An additional $20,250 is allocated for operating costs, which brings the program total expenses to $206,550.
Alignment with Strategic Plan: Goal 5: Accountable, Efficient and Visionary Government
Resource Persons: Dwane Brinson, Tax Administrator, Claudia Hager, General Manager and Keith Lane Budget Director
County Manager's Recommendation: County Manager recommends the Board approve the budget amendment authorizing funds to support the tax re...
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