Tax statements delayed by computer glitch

COMPUTER GLITCH

The state legislature fixed what was wrong with the property tax billing. They helped us by fixing a problem. The fix then went to the software company and they ended up not being able to handle the EMS levies.”

Sherri Yasenchok, Lee County Auditor

ONLINE OPTION

Residents can get statements online at the following link: https://www.iowatreasurers.org/index.php?module=parceldetail&idCounty=56

LEE COUNTY – A late release of fall tax statements has Lee County officials fielding phone calls from angry residents.
A glitch in the software programs that are used by county officials in Iowa has resulted in statements going out late in some counties, mostly those with EMS levies in place.
According to Lee County Auditor Sherri Yasenchok only 23 counties in Iowa have EMS levies and those counties encountered a software issue that required corrective action.
Typically, statements are sent out in the final week of July and Yasenchok said the county received confirmation that the letters were sent out on Tuesday. She said the county had to verify the data being sent out and then get it to the vendor that mails the statements.
The county uses a vendor to mail the statements because internally preparing the statement, considering supplies, staff time, and mailing was costing the county more than having a vendor do the work including the mailings.
Yasenchok said the House File 718 letter that is required to be mailed to all property tax owners in the county outlined changes. The legislation was signed into law to provide more transparency into property taxes.
She said the state was trying to help streamline the process.
“The state legislature fixed what was wrong with the property tax billing. They helped us by fixing a problem. The fix then went to the software company and that software ended up not being able to handle the EMS levies,” Yasenchok said.
“Because the EMS levy is a calculation in a computer, they had a problem and everything came to a screeching halt. So we were stuck. We continually sent in tickets to their IT to see if they were ready to go,” she said.
“We were one of 23 counties sending in those tickets. All of these auditors were wondering when it was going to be fixed. We’re going to have people coming at us left and right. I called a few times and was direct with them. People want their tax bills, but we’re only as good as that software company coming back to us.”
Yasenchok said when that was finally resolved the county then had to do the end work to get the statements out, including verifications, which couldn’t be done until the software solution was corrected.
“Then we have quality control where we get eyes on the forms and so we had to finalize everything, and we got them out as soon as we could.”
County Treasurer Becky Gaylord said the taxes were certified on Aug. 18 and were printed on Aug. 20. They were mailed Tuesday.
However, property tax owners can get their statements immediately online at the Iowa Treasurer’s office at the following link: https://www.iowatreasurers.org/index.php?module=parceldetail&idCounty=56
Property taxes are due by Sept. 1 each year, but no penalty is assessed until Oct. 1. Tax bills need to be postmarked by Sept. 30, but Gaylord cautioned that the Fort Madison post office doesn’t postmark mail.
“They don’t get postmarked until they get to Davenport or sometimes Cedar Rapids, so you want to get them in a little early,” she said.
Yasenchok said the county has a drop box on the back of the building where tax bills can be deposited without mailing, or they can bring them into the office. Property owners can also sign up for email notifications with the county and that brings notices via email quicker than regular mail, once they are certified.
Property taxes are compiled when schools, cities, counties, townships, and other entities prepare and adopt budgets following a public hearing. Those then go to the county auditor, who also gets assessed values on all taxable property in the jurisdictions of the county from the county assessor’s office. Individual assessment letters are delivered in the spring from the assessor’s office to property owners so people see their assessments for the upcoming year.
The county auditor then determines each taxpayer’s share of the total budget by applying the state rollback percentages to each property class as determined by the Dept. of Revenue, as well as any exemptions. Those figures are then delivered to the county treasurers, who prepare each statement and deliver them to the taxpayers.