Poughkeepsie to Permit Partial Payments on Real Estate Taxes

The City of Poughkeepsie is proposing changes to the local tax code that would permit partial payments to be made in any amount at any time throughout the year.

City leaders have announced an initiative that would permit partial payments on real estate taxes. City committees along with sponsors and Poughkeepsie Mayor Rolison are attempting to bring relief to city taxpayers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This amendment to the tax code, if passed by the full council would permit all partial payments to be accepted, whenever they are made throughout the year.

Mayor Rolison said:

This is a well-crafted amendment that balances the city’s financial condition with the need to provide flexibility to our taxpayers. Not only will this legislation help individuals, it will help local businesses, many of which also pay property taxes and have not received promised help under the Federal Paycheck Protection Program. The current ‘all-or-nothing’ approach to tax collection, which requires the City to send back partial payments, is at odds with important goals we share as a community: preserving homeownership and housing affordability. The new approach will also help our senior citizen property owners, who may find it easier to pay monthly rather than quarterly.

The council is expected to take up this matter at its next virtual meeting on May 4.

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