Committee forwards ordinance to let tax collector cancel penalties when city failed to mail bill

Supervisor Asha Safai introduced an ordinance at the Budget & Finance Committee authorizing the Tax Collector to establish procedures to cancel delinquent property-tax penalties where the delinquency results from the city's failure to send a tax bill to a new owner (for example, transfers executed after the lien date).

Eric Manky of the Treasurer-Tax Collector's Office explained the ordinance is narrow: it applies only where the city's failure to mail a bill is the cause of delinquency and provided taxes are paid by June 30 of the fiscal year in question. Manky said California law allows this administrative remedy and the ordinance delegates the authority to the tax collector to resolve these unique cases without requiring Board action each time.

There were no public speakers on this item. The committee voted to forward the ordinance to the full Board with a positive recommendation.