Chesterfield County, Virginia Chesterfield Behind the Mic, 26 Apr 2023

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From YouTube: Episode 45: Explaining Different Payment Options in Chesterfield County

Description

On the latest episode of Chesterfield Behind the Mic, we talk to Chesterfield County Treasurer Rebecca Longnaker to discuss the role of her office and detail the number of different ways that residents can pay their property taxes, which are due June 5. For more information, visit chesterfield.gov/727/treasurer.

Credits:
Director: Martin Stith
Executive Producer: Teresa Bonifas
Producer/Writer/Host: Brad Franklin
Director of Photography/Editor: Matt Boyce
Producer/Camera Operator: Martin Stith and Matt Neese
Graphics: Debbie Wrenn
Promotions and Media: J. Elias O’Neal, Elizabeth Hart, and Jackie Wilkens

Music:
Hip Hop This by Seven Pounds
Inspiring Electronic Rock by Alex Grohl

Guest:
Rebecca Longnaker, Chesterfield County Treasurer

Recorded on location by Communications and Media

Chesterfield.gov/podcast

Follow us on social media! On Facebook, like our page: Chesterfield Behind the Mic. On Twitter, you can find us at @ChesterfieldVa and on Instagram it’s @ChesterfieldVirginia. And you can also watch the podcast on WCCT TV Thursday through Sunday at 7 p.m. as well as on weekends at noon on Comcast Channel 98 and Verizon Channel 28.

A

A

Good morning, good evening, good afternoon, wherever is that you are and wherever you may be, thank you very much for making this a part of your day. I am Brad Franklin. The creative content right here in Chesterfield, I'm, very glad to tell you that Chesterfield, while the mic is on the air. Once again, um you know sometimes the episodes we do are about stories and sometimes they're about information, and today's episode, I think, is a little bit definitely shaded toward the ladder.

A

We, you know it's it's our job, sometimes to share important information and this time of year. What we're going to talk about today is definitely important. Information for folks in Chesterfield. First I want to welcome County Treasurer Rebecca longinger to the podcast Rebecca. How are you I am doing well. Thank you very much for uh coming on the show Rebecca and thank you very much for your time today. I appreciate it. Obviously uh this is like I said it's a very busy um time for a lot of different people.

A

Spring seems to you know, bring out the best in us we're all running around and obviously you know with June the 5th an important date, obviously for your office and for folks in Chesterfield, for that tax payment deadline coming up before we get into the ins and outs of um sort of how people can can pay those taxes and what options are on the table form I want to talk a little about, as I always do with all the different guests that we have here talk a little bit about sort of your background and how it is that you came to be Treasurer working here.

A

Doing all the things that you do for Chesterfield. How is it you know what brought you uh to to that seat across from me here today.

B

Well, Brad, it starts off with me getting my degree in accounting becoming a CPA back in Baltimore, where we um first got married. We moved down to this area when our Twins were five months old.

A

B

Did the stay-at-home mom thing went back into accounting came to work for the accounting in 2013 in.

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B

Accounting department came to the treasurer's office as a deputy of accounting in 2017 and.

A

B

Found it to be a fantastic place, the county overall is, but then the treasurer's office offers something totally different when my predecessor Carrie Adams retired. At the end of his term, there was no one that was in line to step up.

A

B

Everyone looked at me and said: you're, a CPA. Aren't you and I said yeah, but I'm also an introvert.

A

B

Don't know about this, um I took the plunge and stepped up and be mainly because that's an office at the time of 52 people and I wanted them to stay together. They're an awesome, family and they've continued to be even as we've grown, to a couple, a couple, more positions. So that's how I came to be sitting across.

A

From you now in terms of I think this is a good opportunity to sort of educate as well, because I'll be honest, um my dad actually ran for commissioned the revenue in my hometown was. If you asked me to explain the difference between Treasurer and the commission, Revenue I, don't know if I could do it accurately without, like some sort of Aid right, I think I have a general gist. So, instead of me guessing how about I'll? Just ask you plainly: what would you say?

A

The difference is between your office and the work of the commission, the revenue, the.

B

Commission of the revenue assesses the taxes and that assessment, together with the Border supervisor's tax rate, creates the invoices that I, then am required by law to collect.

A

B

So I'm the tax collector.

A

Right, so it's so in essence, the the two sides are obviously sort of unrelated, but but they they sort of serve very different functions in terms of the whole like bigger picture. Yes, we are counterparts of each other that makes sense now in terms of collecting those taxes.

A

Obviously, there are lots of different ways for folks to um to pay um their taxes and as you as you, as we're kind of talking today, if you're watching the YouTube version, you're going to see some some different material, some some graphics, maybe even the um an example of a bill that you might receive um we're going to talk through sort of those different options.

A

But for folks who are watching that I just want to be aware that those things are going to come on screen if you're somebody who's listening to the show feel free to check out that YouTube version. um It will also have all the different links in there as well. That you're going to see. Excuse me that you would see in the description for the episode. Let's start with um I guess we should handle these these different options and what might be seen as maybe the um the easiest order.

A

I guess, maybe is a way to think of it. um I think in in this day and age, a lot of people are used to paying things online. um So obviously they can go to the portal which, depending on when you listen to the show, um the update to the portal might be live because I know that that is something that's coming for for your your business, um but in terms of the portal. What do people need to know about that sort of payment option that.

B

Payment option allows you to access your account set up an account. Have all your account numbers, because you could have personal property and real.

A

B

Could have a couple of each and I mean I have three of each and you could do a um pay by credit card debit card or an E-Check, which is an electronic check. Where you put in your banking number and your account number and your routing.

A

Number right and then I believe that there are fees that are always tied to any payments you make using your your card that the county has literally no say in. Is that correct that.

B

Is correct, we are our payments are processed by third party payment processor, whether you come into my office. You pay by any other means. I've got it's going to be the same company right. The same fees.

A

Right, so, if folks are so for those of you who are listening, make sure you understand that if you pay back hard, there's going to be that extra fume, there's nothing that Chesterfield can do to take that off.

B

Correct and just for good knowledge, the credit card fee is two percent. Okay. The debit card fee is two dollars and fifty cent flat fee. So if you're paying more than 125 dollars, use your debit card, okay and online or any other place where you use a check E-Check. There is no fee.

A

To you got it okay, now, um one of the other options again, you know we're going to handle this, maybe in sort of an ease of use, so to speak. Is that a phone um system, but this is the automated system, tell me a little bit more about how that works. This.

B

Is again the automated system? You would call into the number that we have on the back of the invoice and um it will tell you walk you through. It asks you for your account number verify that you're you with some information and then walk you through how you want to make the payment.

A

Right now, what kind of information for verification purposes will the system use it.

B

Will ask you if you have an account number and verify your zip code.

A

And your address cool, and so basically, in these instances it's really good for the for, for the person who's paying the taxes to make sure they have the bill in their hand. Yes,.

B

A

They're on the system that makes sense, and then of course there is this sort of uh General um sort of online banking catch-all, um but that payment processing is done in-house. Tell me a bit more about that.

B

The mail-in payment.

A

B

The the online banking process online, banking, I'm, sorry, um yes, you can go to your bank and whether the fees there that's up to your bank.

A

B

Nothing to do with that, but you set up a payee. A lot of people do um Dominion Energy right, um Columbia, Gas Etc. You set up a payee and the address, and that will then generate, hopefully an electronic payment to me right. If the information is not accurate, then you're not going to get an electronic payment. It'll be stalled. Coming to.

A

Me right so so this is one where it seems easy, but you have to make sure that the information is absolutely correct. Otherwise the thing will just conk out right and if you're watching this on the YouTube version, you're, probably seeing a version of of that specific uh language, a specific address, so to speak on the screen and again it's really important that folks understand that if you don't hit this exactly right, the payment will not go through it.

B

Will be it'll be delayed.

A

B

To it'll get to me weeks.

A

Later right, but it will not go through I guess, let me rephrase it will not go through when you probably want it to go through exactly.

B

Because we are governed by that postmark by.

A

The code of Virginia and.

B

A lot of people have their um online banking set up from years ago. Right when we used to send our payments to Charlotte North Carolina right. We don't do that anymore right. We send it to PO Box 70 Chesterfield Virginia right also, it needs to be payable. The payee needs to be treasured Chesterfield County, not Richard Cordell, who was a treasure for 30.

A

Some years.

B

And not Rebecca longnaker.

A

B

Law says it has to be treasure: Chesterfield County,.

A

Interesting, okay, now, uh in terms of ease of use, one of the things I think a lot of us who have grown up or used ATMs and such were sort of used to kiosk. Now right- and there are four of them um in the county- tell me a little bit more about those kiosks and how they work. I.

B

Am so excited about those kiosks um I'll, try not to talk too much they're.

A

Actually called.

B

Jack, the vendor calls them Justified automated collections, kiosk.

A

B

So we have four jacks. The first one came at the administration building back in 20 2020. We were trying to find a way with covet to make it easier. They're available, 24 7., you can come up anytime, you lift the lid, it starts talking you through how to do it right. You can make tax payments, property, tax, I'm, sorry, personal property, tax, real estate tax or your utility payment.

A

B

Water in your Wastewater bill again walks you through it, takes credit card check, cash or debit card, no fees going for the check or the cash, the same fees for the credit card and the debit card right.

A

B

Have last year we put one in at North, Courthouse, Library, okay and one at Meadowdale library, and then this year, just within this month, we put one at Clover, Hill.

A

Library great, so those things are open, 24, 7, right, yes, and in this and the system sort of walks you through what was it about those now four locations? What what went into those four being chosen is the places for the kiosk, the.

B

Administration building here was basically my prototype to see how they work and to follow it. At Meadowdale and North Courthouse I know Chesterfield County's administration building my office is not local I'm.

A

Sorry Central for the kids yeah so.

B

I went the farthest reach as I could the farthest north library is Bonaire on rattlesnake, and no one knows where that is so. North Courthouse was the newest biggest one up there in the North and the meta deals the further south that I could fit one okay, I'm aiming for Ettrick or Enon, but they need rehabbed. First.

A

Yeah you just stole my next question, which was going to be you know in the future. Are there any other potential spots, so that's even great or even better, that you that you sort of just rattled those off now the other piece, I guess in terms of options, bank debit, um that that seems to be a a fairly innocuous term sort of ubiquitous in our day and age. Tell me a little bit more about that option. That.

B

Is where you, the taxpayer, authorizes me through a contract to take the money directly from your account exactly the dollar amount, nothing more or on the due date.

A

B

No fees at all, because we do that in-house.

A

B

We are working toward a more monthly scheduling of doing that.

A

B

Can paint installments we're not quite there, but a lot of people like that where they don't even have to worry about it.

A

Yeah, it just kind of happens, yeah and you're, never late, yeah. Now in terms of um you've mentioned in-house several times today, it seems, like that's, been a big focal point um in terms of doing as much of this as you can here.

B

A

Tell me a little bit more about yeah I mean we still have a few more of these, including the Dropbox, which is you know, right here, secure no stamp needed only used by your office. What went into sort of the thought process in terms of trying to bring so much of this in-house I.

B

Find that if you care about what you're doing you're going to do it better, it's.

A

B

We have our bank has had a lock box. That's what it's called when you mail your payment to an address and a company processes.

A

B

We've had one for years: that's the Charlotte North Carolina, address and.

A

B

Hearing, why are we sending our money there.

A

B

It never stayed there, it came back, but we just want to make sure people understood that, but I understand also that they have a lot of different companies. They work with.

A

B

Not just me, the utilities department still uses them I understand, but it's for me to know that the quality control is in place right because things do get misapplied at times. Right and I can't find them until you get a delinquent bill because you paid my bill right with your payment right.

A

B

We now have two people handling it and mostly at the busy time it takes both of them. Otherwise, it's just one person handling it. We run them through the same type of scanner and they get uploaded to the bank into your account, and everything goes where it's supposed to go cool all.

A

Right so the Dropbox is obviously here at the administration building again only used by the treasurer's office. The other thing that you can do, if you do come here to the administration building, is to come in person. What are your office hours change at all during this time, or are you pretty much the same? We.

B

Stay the same, so we don't confuse people.

A

B

Eight to um eight.

A

And then, obviously um you mentioned earlier that something for some folks here is not necessarily like close right and so again you know uh I think I've never been around an organization that really seemed to talk about and care about. You know customer service. The way this one does I mean I feel like every time. I go someplace. Somebody is talking about.

A

You know wanting to have excellent customer service and I feel like this is one of those ideas there's a new place for folks if they live in and around I guess technically, if you wanted to drive from one part of the county to the other, you could technically pay in matoka, but tell me a little bit more about sort of the um the um the additional in-person option that you have available this year. We.

B

Have I guess what we're calling a satellite office? um It's an experiment, we're trying to see how it's going to work and if it's well received, then we're going to hopefully do it again and again right the old, Metallica, Mill uh old, matoka elementary school, it's vacant right.

A

B

County owns it and we're going to send a couple cashiers down there for the um five business days of May 30th through June 5th.

A

B

Are our last five days, June 5th being the due date and we'll be able to process your payments? There.

A

B

Same manner we could in in person here at the office and on Lori road, so that everything can be handled for you. If you don't want to travel, 30, 40 minutes.

A

Just to get to us right and, and you mentioned you know if that is a um you know, if that is a hit you know and if it's well received, and but it sounds like from from what I've heard that folks in that area are already pretty excited about it. That's.

B

What I have gathered I have been talking about this as much as I can and I've got a list of people to send some I've got Flyers that are going to go out. Those that live in those two zip codes, 23803 and 23834 I hope um I got that right. um They will get a specific flyer for them. That.

A

B

One else is going to get it's the yellow one saying you know: if you can pay your taxes in the village right and that's my chief Deputy. She lives in that area, so she said this will be a good hit good deal now.

A

In terms of the overall um sort of package here, one thing I know we wanted to talk about. Was that there's a rebate, that's as part of this year's bill. Can you talk through a little bit sort of how that works and what people might need to know about where, where that is and how it all works, that.

B

Is on your real estate taxes, only it's five percent and it's based on the total taxes due the real estate taxes, including any National assessment District. Your.

A

B

Point and Chesterfield town center in eastern Midlothian, and it will show on your invoice under the adjustments or payments column. Okay,.

A

And then I know for for folks who have been watching this. You probably have seen a couple of times here. You know versions of the sample um the sample bill.

A

um I also want to talk a little about sort of if you have a a bill which has delinquent charges on it, because I know that there's like a hierarchy or something right of the way that the the thing is paid take me through just sort of how that works. Okay,.

B

First of all, with a code of um I'm sorry, the county ordinances right storm water, utility fees must be paid first right. That 1250 is paid on everybody's bill with this five percent on rebate. After that it will take it by the oldest taxes and collection actions do and.

A

Collection actions.

B

I mean penalty and interest okay. So if you've got, this is 23. If you didn't pay your 22 taxes, it's going to go against that first got it and each line on the bill shows the year and shows what was paid.

A

B

So if you don't see it against your 2023 taxes due it's on there against an older one, you just need to look at your room a little bit closer right. So.

A

Before we let you go Rebecca, obviously you know June, the 5th is a very busy date, it's a very important date. um It is the correct date um because you haven't, you haven't I've said it several times. You haven't told me otherwise, so I must be getting it right. um What would you what was that? What's the message you'd like to give to folks heading into um the next month, or so before that date? Well,.

B

We're here, every single day, eight to five, eight thirty to five, keep doing that wrong. 8 30 to 5. However, don't wait till the last week because we have lines everywhere. We give you options outside of the office online banking online portal and the kiosks you can mail it in make sure you get it mailed before the due date.

A

B

The postmark is what counts, and sometimes it doesn't be that they don't post Market on the fifth.

A

B

They roll to the next business day.

A

All right last thing make sure I give them. If folks have questions about their bill, what should they do.

B

They should call us at 804-748-1201 we're there to.

A

Help all right Rebecca! Thank you very much for coming on the podcast and talking to us about all these different uh ways that folks can can pay their taxes. I really appreciate it all right make sure you check us out on social media on Twitter it's at chesterva and on Instagram, it's Chesterfield Virginia on one word and on Facebook you can check out our podcast page, just search Chesterfield behind the mic, make sure to like that page. So you can keep up with as you go forward now.

A

Let me tell you about all the ways you can check us out. You can watch us on our YouTube channel as well as on our website at chesterfield.gov, podcast and audio. Only version of the show is available there, as well as on Apple podcast, Spotify, Google, podcast, overcast and a whole host of other services. You can also watch the podcast on wcct Thursday through Sunday, at 7 on the weekends at noon.

A

That's Comcast channel 98 and Verizon Channel 28 and, lastly, you can check out chesterfield.gov connect with us for more ways for you to get in touch with us and let's get in touch with you. My thanks to my director, Martin Stith, my executive producer treats Boniface and all the good folks in Communications and media for all. They do and my thanks to you for joining us today, so from all of us here in Chesterfield County, thanks again for making this a part of your day, we'll see you again real soon take good care.

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