The Town of Fairfax Officials would like to issue a statement regarding tax bill

[mkr]

The Town of Fairfax Officials would like to issue a statement regarding tax bills. 

The following is the facts and explains how the tax bills this year were issued.  Please note, the voters passed to change the tax year from calendar to fiscal, hence the 18 months for the first tax bill to catch us up to the fiscal year rotation.

The tax bill you received is for 18 months.  The 18 months applies to the MUNICIPAL portion only.  The school has been operating on a fiscal year and your amount for the education is for 12 months only.

The fiscal year is July 1st  to June 30th.   The municipal portion of the tax bill covers your payments from January 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018.  Next tax bill that will go out, will be for a 12 month period. 

The Municipal tax rate is calculated to cover the additional 6 months of budget.  The tax rate will be re-calculated when the next bill goes out to accommodate a 12 month budget. 

The Trash fee is calculated on 18 months.  Currently, this equals $28.22 a month for your garbage.  The 2016 tax bill had a portion calculated into the tax rate like it was historically done, and 8 months listed out. 

Please call with clarification questions.  802-849-6111 ext. 10

[Wormerod]

MK,

Since the School and Town will be in different fiscal yeas after this year, does this mean that residents should expect to receive 2 separate tax bills? if that is the case, do you know when those two separate bills will be delivered to residents and when they will be due?

Thank you in advance,

Bill

[fletchtb]

Bill,

The school already operates on a July 1 to June 30 fiscal calendar and has for years. The Town of Fairfax is moving from a calendar year (Jan 1 to Dec 31) to a fiscal year (July 1 to June 30).

Starting July 1, 2018, both the town and school will be on the same calendar for accounting/operating purposes.

The reason for the 18-month tax bill is to make the shift from a calendar year to a fiscal year.

One of the big advantages, is that the budget that is voted on in March will be for the year that begins on July 1 that year instead of voting in March for a budget in which 2 months of expenses have already accrued.

I would expect you would continue to receive only 1 tax bill.

Disclaimer: I am a Fletcher resident, but we went through the same change a couple of years ago.

- Todd

[rod anode]

bill. taxes suck anyway you pay them

[mkr]

Todd is correct.  It also gives the town longer to get the Audit done which has been an issue as well.  ~MK