M&T answers challenge

Dear Editor:

I write to clarify some details in a story published Aug. 29, 2018, and explain the services M&T Bank provides the Rhinebeck Central School District.

Last year, school officials identified a challenge they were facing: When paying school taxes in person, residents walked through the high school to visit the district office, where taxes are accepted. This created a safety concern that the school district wanted to address.

M&T Bank presented the school district with a solution that not only addressed these concerns but also created added convenience for local taxpayers.

We accept tax payments from all residents at our M&T branch in Rhinebeck. Every taxpayer in the Rhinebeck school district can visit our branch to pay their school taxes via check, official bank check or money order. This preserves in-person payments, without leaving schools subject to additional outside visitors.

While we can only accept cash from current customers, this is a standard procedure for most banks as part of federal regulations related to preventing money laundering, tax fraud and identity theft. In other words, it’s a necessary element of our work to safeguard our customers’ money. For taxpayers who are only able to pay with cash, they still can make tax payments at the district’s offices, using the new side entrance. David Tellerday Commercial Branch Manager M&T Bank, Rhinebeck