Public Hearing Scheduled on New Tax Refund Policy

A public hearing has been set for August 6 in the (BHS) media center at 7 p.m., before the monthly Board of Selectmen’s (BOS) meeting, on a new town ordinance to allow the Tax Collector to credit overpayments of less than $5 rather than reimbursing taxpayers in the same year.

The ordinance is allowed under section 12-129 of the Connecticut General Statutes and will save the town money and prevent recording problems, according to Tax Collector Lauraine Paquin.

The cost of processing and sending a reimbursement check is between $6 and $8, Paquin said — more than the $5 threshold under the proposed ordinance. Not only is the cost higher than the reimbursement, at $5 or less the checks aren’t worth cashing to many, causing problems for the finance department.

The had 27 overpayments of $5 or less last year, though that number fluctuates year to year, Paquin said. Under the new system, the taxpayer would be credited the amount toward the next tax bill.

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