Property tax payments in Santa Clara County were due April 10, but people who were unable to make their payments on time may soon be able to avoid late fees.
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors President Cindy Chavez and Supervisor Joe Simitian proposed Monday that the 10 percent penalty on late property tax payments be waived. The two said they were also looking at ways to promote the county’s partial payment program, which has been in place since November 1, 2017.
“I’m told that a proposal of this type sort is unprecedented, but then so is the crisis at hand. If we’ve got a tool we can use to provide relief, we should use it,” Simitian said in a statement. “Now, more than ever, we’ve got to think creatively.”
The Board of Supervisors will consider the proposal at its April 21 meeting.
“Relief from penalties is particularly important for homeowners and small businesspeople whose livelihoods are uncertain – they need immediate relief,” Chavez said.
In a news release published by Santa Clara County, Simitian noted that property tax payments are needed for cities, schools and to keep the government operating, but acknowledged that asking for late fees penalizes people during a difficult time and “makes no sense to me.”
“We’re in a crisis, and people are hurting,” Simitian said.
Chavez and Simitian have also proposed the county explore other potential relief measures for taxpayers with second unpaid property tax installment payments on July 1, 2020.
Santa Clara County’s partial payment program for property taxes was initially proposed by Simitian in 2017. The program allows taxpayers to make multiple partial payments on each installment and applies the 10 percent late fee only to the unpaid portion that remains after the filing deadline.
