MADISON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) – Dane County plans to let towns and cities decide if they want to delay the due date for property taxes to October 1.
In mid-April, the state legislature voted to allow municipalities to waive interest and penalties on late property tax payments if their county approved of them doing so.
Normally, Madison collects property tax payments quarterly, but the mayor says the city will offer flexibility for businesses and families who may be struggling to keep up with expenses.
“We have heard over and over again, from property owners in the city, that they are having trouble gathering the funds that they need to make their installment payments, that they're worried about penalties and late fees and up until the state took action, we were not able to do anything about that,” Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said.
A resolution allowing local governments to offer the delay will go before the Dane County Board's Finance Committee Monday evening.
“When the county passes this resolution, what it will do is allow communities to choose whether they would like to delay those payments for taxpayers until October 1,” Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said. “Some will choose to do so if they're able to because of their cash flow. There may be smaller communities who can't because of the cash flow implications for them.”
The City of Madison Common Council plans to take action on the proposal Tuesday.