RICHMOND, Va. — Bob James was elated to learn that he qualified for a Richmond City initiative that provides tax relief to seniors and those who are disabled.
It's called the Older Adults and Persons with Disabilities Real Estate Tax Relief Program, and it's designed to help city residents who bear "extraordinary real estate tax burden in relation to their income and financial worth."
“That's a very small demographic, and it's a very vulnerable demographic, and these are people that I'm sure need that money. I know I do," James said.
Since James is over 65 years old and meets maximum income qualifications, he applied for the program over the summer and was approved in September for 75% relief on the real estate taxes he already paid through his mortgage in 2024.
“From what I can tell from the taxes that have been paid this past year, it should be around $1,500," the Church Hill resident said about how much money he expects to get back in relief.
According to a letter the city sent in early November, James was supposed to receive his substantive refund this December.
But he said it didn't arrive to his residence or his mortgage company's mailbox.
“I checked the mail every day, and I come back in and it's like, disappointed again. As the month went on, it was like, ‘Okay, any day now I'm going to be getting this check.’ It just never happened," James said.
Looking for answers, James called City Hall and found out that it was the Finance Department in charge of managing the program.
The department has come under scrutiny this year for operational inefficiencies, outdated systems, tax collection issues, billing errors, and poor management that city officials have blamed on years of historic dysfunction and leadership turnover.
“I’m very well aware of the meals tax issues that the city had, and with collecting the money and not doing what they're supposed to be doing, and when I first heard that I had to go to the Department of Finance, it was like, 'Oh, God.' I was dreading it," James said.
So, James got in contact with a finance employee to ask what the holdup was.
“They said they're in the process of upgrading or updating their systems, and that's why they're not able to process any checks at this time," he said.
“Do you know what that means? Updating their system?” reporter Tyler Layne asked.
“Not at all. Your guess is as good as mine," James answered.
James showed CBS 6 an email where the city closed his customer service request with the following explanation: "Spoke with citizen regarding Tax Relief refund explaining the new update & the lag of time duration but explained to give us a call back in 1 month."
He was not satisfied with that response and annoyed that the city did not proactively alert residents of the processing delay.
"The elderly, the people on limited income, the people that are disabled, those are people that really need this money, and to just be told, 'Well, call us back next month and we'll let you know'? That just doesn't make any sense. But that's their answer, and you have to accept it," James said.
In a statement to CBS 6, city spokesperson Ross Catrow said, “The Department of Finance is still processing applications for the Older Adults and Persons with Disabilities Real Estate Tax Relief Program. Due to the holidays, the deadline to apply for the program this year is Jan. 2."
He added the department anticipates fully processing all of the applications in the coming weeks after the application window has closed.
The initial filing deadline was Dec. 31, 2024, but the city previously encouraged residents to submit completed applications by Sept. 30, 2024, to ensure all applicants received their current and future relief on time.
CBS 6 also asked about the system update and how that impacted the program. Catrow said that information would be forthcoming.
James hopes, with a new administration and new year on the horizon, that the city can leave any lingering finance problems in 2024.
"I wish the city would just figure out what's going on with the Department of Finance and take care of the issues," James said.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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