This week I had the opportunity to testify in Senate Finance committee on SB 972 (Sen. Hildenbrand, R-Lowell), a bill that would require local municipalities to include past due amounts on all tax bills.  While we agree that this is an issue that should be addressed, the practical implications surrounding this are concerning to us.  In my testimony, I stated that once a tax bill goes unpaid at the local level, it is sent directly to the county.  There is no communication back down to the city or village after it gets sent to the county to report if the bill is eventually paid or still delinquent. At the point that the bill is sent to the county, it is then removed from the local municipality’s records and is completely handled at the county level. Requiring a dollar amount on each subsequent bill of past due taxes would be extremely difficult to administer. 

League staff has been working closely with Sen. Hildenbrand and his staff to work through the League’s concerns and find a solution to the problem he is trying to fix with the bill.  We will keep you updated as things move along.

Nikki Brown is the Capital Office Coordinator for the League.  She can be reached at 517-908-0305 or [email protected]