GOSHEN —
Did the stormwater user fee included on your property tax bill this spring seem a bit higher than usual? You may have been overcharged.
According to Stormwater Coordinator Eric Kurtz, a glitch in the software used to calculate this year’s installment of the annual stormwater user fee was recently discovered. That glitch resulted in an overcharge for approximately 10,600 parcels. Kurtz announced the issue during a meeting of the Elkhart County Stormwater Board Tuesday morning.
“The stormwater fee for about 10,600 parcels out of 65,000 was incorrect,” Kurtz said. “Most of them were overcharged. And that’s because for some crazy reason it defaulted to what the rate was two years ago, and that was a higher rate because it was based on a different calculation.”
As for why only 10,600 parcels were affected by the glitch, Kurtz said it appears only non-residential parcels received the overcharge.
“The determining factor was that the residential fee pretty much didn’t change,” Kurtz said. “For example, my house has been charged a $15 fee since this whole thing started, and it didn’t change at all. So when it defaulted back to 2010, my $15 fee was the same then as it is now. So those 55,000 that were correct, I would have to assume that a majority of those were residential, and thus were unaffected by the issue. The parcels it did affect were commercial, industrial, and things like churches and schools.”
For those who have been overcharged, Kurtz noted that most will likely have the difference subtracted from their upcoming fall payment.
“There is a spring and a fall bill,” Kurtz said, “and if they’ve only paid the spring bill, they’ll just balance it out for the fall bill.”
With the issue of the software glitch now fixed, Kurtz said it is now the desire of the Stormwater Board to send out an updated bill so that everyone will have the correct bill this fall.
As the glitch is believed to have been an issue with the calculation software, Elkhart County Treasurer Larry Ernest recently spoke with officials at the software company, Government Utilities Technology Service (GUTS), to request that they pay the approximately $7,000 it will cost to send out the corrected bills.
“Larry asked GUTS to pay for that and they didn’t agree,” Kurtz said, noting that the company does not feel it is responsible for the issue.
Like Kurtz, County Auditor Pauline Graff disagrees.
“I do believe it’s their error,” Graff said, “and it’s not the first they’ve made.”
In light of this fact, Elkhart County Commissioner Terry Rodino directed Kurtz and Ernest to enlist the assistance of the county’s legal staff to try and resolve the situation.
“You and Larry engage the legal staff to get this taken care of,” Rodino said. “They screwed up. They need to pay for it.”
As for when people with incorrect bills can expect to see their new bills in the mail, Kurtz said he is unsure exactly when those new bills will go out, though it will be before the scheduled arrival of the second installment of property tax bills set to be mailed this November.
“It will definitely be sometime before November,” Kurtz said. “That’s all I can say right now. It’s going to depend on the Treasurer’s office and what works best for them.”
Local News
10,600 customers overcharged on stormwater fee
- Local News
-
-
THE DIRT ON GARDENING: Choose your pool plants wisely
Do you have a pool or a pond or do you plan on having one in the near future? Then you’ll want to choose your plants wisely that you’ll expect to have near or around the perimeter.
-
Handle poison hemlock carefully
Poison hemlock is a weed that seemed to burst onto the scene last year during the drought.
In the past, it could be found in waste areas like along railroad tracks and ditches, but in 2012, poison hemlock seemed to be everywhere, including backyards, gardens, fields, even along the river at Bonneyville Mill Park. -
'Piazza' program starts Saturday at Ruthmere
The “Coffee on the Piazza” program will return to Ruthmere Museum this spring and summer.
-
Jefferson students spend the day at Camp Amigo
On Tuesday, 450 Jefferson Elementary School students experienced “outdoor” school.
-
Bus driver’s condition upgraded after Wednesday wreck
A school bus driver injured in a four-bus crash Wednesday north of North Webster was hospitalized in fair condition Thursday.
-
Goshen has growth spurt
Goshen Mayor Allan Kauffman doesn’t have the magic bullet as to why Goshen is over the 32,000 mark in population for the first time.
-
Sentence dealt for reckless homicide
GOSHEN — From the witness stand in Elkhart Circuit Court, Kristina Wolfinger could see the man who killed her brother. She described what she didn’t see.
-
Milford Fest activities to fill Saturday
Milford Fest will take place in downtown Milford Saturday.
Events begin at 7 a.m. and continue through 9 p.m. -
Local Memorial Day events set
The following are scheduled Memorial Day services in the area:
-
Charlie Daniels Band coming to Shipshewana
He’s got the hat, the fiddle and the hits. And he’s feeling revitalized.
In a recent telephone interview with The Goshen News, 74-year-old Charlie Daniels said he is feeling like a new man after his pacemaker procedure earlier this year. He says everything is in sync and he is having a great time on the road.
“I’m enjoying this tour and we are looking forward to making music in Indiana,” the country-rock icon said. - More Local News Headlines
-
Raw: Trucker Bumps I-5 Bridge Before Collapse
Raw: Texas Deputy Shot by Colo. Suspect Honored
Major Detours Following Wash. Bridge Collapse
American Held in Grisly Czech Murders
Raw: Jersey Shore Reopens for Summer
UK-bound Pakistan Plane Diverted, 2 Men Arrested
Officials: Tsarnaev Friend Linked to Slaying
Obama:Sexual Assault Threatens Trust in Military
Bridge Collapse Survivor: 'Rough Day'
Jersey Shore Open for Business
Raw: Memorial Day Flags Placed at Arlington
New Wheelchair Lift Promises More Access
First Person: Mom Discusses Famous Tornado Photo
Raw Video: Washington State Bridge Collapse
Boy Scouts Approve Plan to Accept Gay Boys
