Montco municipalities offer property tax relief

EAGLEVILLE » Montgomery County officials revealed a majority of the county’s 62 municipalities have accepted recommendations to extend deadlines for property tax payments or to remove late penalties during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’ve encouraged municipalities in Montgomery County to extend their property tax discount period deadlines to avoid additional financial strain on families who have been economically harmed by the coronavirus crisis,” county Commissioner Joseph C. Gale said during a recent news briefing at the county’s emergency operation center in Eagleville, adding he was pleased about local governments’ responses.

“The majority of municipalities have extended the discount period deadline date to May 31, 2020. A few have even extended the discount period slightly beyond May 31,” Gale added. Other municipalities, Gale said, have only extended the face period deadline date, referring to the full property tax amount deadline that does not reflect the two-percent discount.

“A few municipalities have not extended tax deadlines but have removed the penalty for late payments,” explained Gale, who has spearheaded the county’s recommendation for the municipal deadline extensions. “And only a small handful of municipalities have been unwilling to make any accommodations, they have made no changes to when property taxes are due.”

According to county officials, those municipalities that have not agreed

“We’ve encouraged municipalities in Montgomery County to extend their property tax discount period deadlines to avoid additional financial strain on families who have been economically harmed by the coronavirus crisis.” - Montgomery County Commissioner Joseph C. Gale

to make changes are: Hatfield Borough; North Wales; Royersford; and Telford.

Upper Pottsgrove did not extend the discount period but is expected to discuss extending the “Face Deadline” at a May 4 meeting, according to county officials. Towamencin did not extend the discount period but “may extend Face deadline in the future,” county officials said.

County officials indicated they received no response to the matter by Rockledge officials.

County officials have compiled a list of the municipalities that have extended property tax deadlines or eliminated penalties.

That list is available at www.montcopa.org/DocumentCenter/View/27832/ Municipality-Tax-Deadlines

The list was also published at www.montcopa. org/Treasurer and on the county’s social media sites, including Twitter @MontcoPA

Gale said if residents have additional questions they should contact their local municipal tax collectors.

“On behalf of the residents and businesses in those municipalities who have made accommodations for tax relief during this crisis, I thank you,” Gale said during the news briefing. “We will continue to find ways to avoid and reduce hardships on residents any way we can.”

Gale previously said county officials were made available to assist municipalities in drafting resolutions to extend the property tax payment deadlines.

Gale has said that extending the deadlines would reduce the need for residents to visit their local tax collector offices during the pandemic.

“And only a small handful of municipalities have been unwilling to make any accommodations, they have made no changes to when property taxes are due.”

- Montgomery County Commissioner Joseph C. Gale