THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, November 15, 1995 TAG: 9511150216
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KATRICE FRANKLIN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Short : 40 lines
Watch out, property owners. Due dates for real estate and personal property taxes are being switched, and the change could put a crunch on those who wait until the last minute to scrape together payments.
The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to swap the due dates for personal property and real estate taxes next year.
Residents will have to pay their personal property taxes 25 days earlier, shifting the due date from June 30 to June 5. But real estate taxes, which are currently due on June 5, will be shifted back to June 30.
Johnna Whitaker, Portsmouth finance director, said swapping due dates will help the city obtain a larger cash flow earlier in the year.
``The city has an $8 million debt payment on bonds due in the summer,'' Whitaker said. ``Personal property taxes are the largest chunk of revenue for the city at one time.''
The due dates also will be more consistent with other Hampton Roads cities, whose taxes are due in the end of May and the beginning of June. By changing the deadlines, Whitaker said, the city will eliminate confusion when residents relocate to and from Portsmouth.
Reversing the dates should also improve the percentage rate of residents who pay their taxes.
``There's usually a push at the end of the year to get taxes collected,'' Whitaker said. ``This gives the city more time.''
In other business, the council voted unanimously to spend nearly a million dollars to buy 45 new police cars.
Twenty would replace old cars. Another 20 would be to equip new police officers hired in the last year. Five would be for the Sheriff's Department.
KEYWORDS: PORTSMOUTH CITY COUNCIL by CNB