Late rebates

Counties are struggling to come up with the financial and staffing resources to get out the property tax rebate checks, and not all property owners should expect them by year's end, Niki Kelly reported Sunday:

David Bottorff, executive director of the Association of Indiana Counties, said it originally estimated it would cost about $1.35 per rebate check. But he said that number has jumped to as high as $2 a check, partly due to charges from software companies to reprogram the systems.

“It would have been much more efficient to put the money up front as a homestead credit,” he said.

But even that would have cost something.

Noble County Auditor Jackie Knafel said even if a credit was added to the fall property tax installment she would have had to reprint those bills. This is because many counties print one bill in the spring that shows the amount to be paid both installments.

“It would have been more costly to do that in the fall,” she said. “Just waiting until next year’s taxes would have been the cheapest option.” ...

... county auditors are supposed to certify rebate check amounts to the county treasurer by Dec. 20 so the treasurer can print and mail the checks.

But the usual November tax deadline is complicating that process.

For instance, Allen County’s fall tax due date is Nov. 13.

(Allen County Auditor Lisa) Blosser said the treasurer will need at least a month after that to post all the payments before county officials can begin checking for tax delinquencies, pushing Allen rebate checks possibly to March.

Comments

[Tom Taxpayer]

The whole idea of the rebate checks was Pat Bauer's, who wanted to make sure the democrats got "credit" from taxpayers right in time for the elections. Never trust a guy that wears a dead racoon on his head for a hairpiece. What a waste of scarce county resources.