CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield school board is adjusting its 2020 real estate collection calendar due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
On Monday night, the board unanimously voted, 7-0, to adjust its calendar to eliminate the penalty collection period. The collection dates are as follows:
- 3, 2020: date of notices and beginning of discount period
- 2, 2020: last day of discount period
- 3, 2020: first day of face period
- 31, 2020: last day of face period
The installment coupon due dates are as follows:
- 16, 2020: first installment (50 percent of face amount
- 16, 2020: second installment (30 percent of face amount)
- 31, 2020: third installment (20 percent of face amount)
Business Administrator Sam Maney said by eliminating the penalty period, the district’s 10 percent penalty would not be tacked on once taxes are turned over to Clearfield County for collection.
Prior to the vote, board member Mary Anne Jackson said unpaid taxes go to the county’s tax claim bureau, and immediately there’s a $25 penalty.
Then, she said, every month there’s 2 percent interest added, as well. Over time, there are costs for notices that generate an additional $25 fee.
If taxes go unpaid into a second year, Jackson said there’s a potential for tax sale, which results in multiple mailings and the fee is $25 for every named owner.
“So, there’s some substantial, additional costs to paying your taxes if you let them go delinquent,” she said, “… so people aren’t going to get off scot free.”
Also, on Monday night, the board unanimously voted, 7-0, to pass the district’s final 2020-21 budget resolution for the general and subsidiary fund budgets.
The only difference from last month’s tentative budget is the general fund budget has increased to $43,782,250 due to the district’s receipt of two federal grants totaling around $938,000.
The Capital Projects Fund and Cafeteria Fund Budgets were also approved in the amount of $740,100 and $1,583,872, respectively.
The budget keeps real estate millage unchanged at 101 mills, Earned Income and Real Estate Transfer Tax at 1 percent and Local Services Tax at $5.