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School Business Administrator Mary June King apologized to the Lansing Board of Education Monday for errors on this year's tax bills.  The bills were prepared and mailed by the TST BOCES Central Business Office (CBO). Three errors were identified Monday in a letter to King from CBO officials.

"I apologize that I didn't think to say send those bills to me so I could go through them before they were mailed out," King told school board members Monday evening.  "I'll be more careful with that in the future.  I have received apologies from the Central Business Office tax operation and I'm confident that they won't make the same mistake again."

King said the first problem is actually an improvement in service.  Taxpayers whose taxes are in escrow received a bill this year.  Some property owners have asked why they received this bill when they are not the ones paying it.

"We're doing it more appropriately," King said.  "Even if your taxes are in escrow, under the law you are supposed to receive a tax bill.  There is print on the back of the tax bill that says if you have your taxes in escrow this is for informational purposes only.  The bank was still notified about what they need to pay."

The second due date for taxpayers who are paying in two installments was listed on tax bills as October 2.  The actual date is March 1, 2014, and the second check is to be made out to Tompkins County rather than the Lansing Central School District.  October 2 is the date after which a late fee is due.  Finally the late fee amount for payments after October 2 was not clearly noted.

King said that two things are helping to reassure taxpayers and get them accurate information. 

"We have an outstanding tax collector up there in Julie Kephart," King said.  She has handled any questions that have come to her very, very well.  Some of the public who may have called up there, uneasy about their taxes, have felt very reassured by their conversation with her."

The other is a Web site that comes with the CBO service that provides instant school tax information on every property within the district.  King said the taxlookup.net Web site is outstanding for the way it instantly provides accurate school tax information.  She said the site was one of the deciding factors when she decided to switch to the CBO tax service this year.

"Previously out treasurer spent a good portion of her time answering tax related questions for realtors and banks and attorneys involved in real estate purchases and sales," King told the board.  "Now we don't have to pay anybody to be sitting on the phone answering those questions.  We can direct them right online.  And the professionals in the real estate industry know that so they make full use of this kind of opportunity."

School Board member Julie Boles suggested sending a 'school messenger' communication to correct erroneous information on the bills.  King said she planned to facilitate that the next day.

Board member Aziza Benson told King she had received someone else's tax bill erroneously and asked what taxpayers should do if they have not yet received a tax bill.

"You should contact my office," King said.  "Or you can go into taxlookup.net and find your taxes right there.  But contact my office and we'll make sure something gets sent to you."

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