GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Your 2019 tax bill may have already made its way to your mailbox. Residents in Green Bay and Howard should pay close attention to who they need to make that payment to.
“It’s very clearly marked,” said Celestine Jeffreys, the chief of staff to Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich.
Both cities have joined Denmark in collecting their own payments.
“The only change this year is that the city is collecting either the first installment of the taxes or the entire payment of the taxes for 2019,” said Jeffreys.
For those who pay their taxes in two installments, the second one, this summer, will still have to be paid to the county.
The 21 other municipalities in Brown County have signed tax collection agreements with the county for another year.
Jeffreys tells FOX 11 the biggest reason for the change is cost.
By collecting its own taxes the City of Green Bay also makes interest on that money, without having to pay the county for any services.
“We look at our expenses for actually collecting taxes the city comes out ahead financially. Just the cost of collecting it, the software, the personnel time.”
She says the city estimates it will net about $35,000 over a two month period because of the change.
The Denmark village clerk cited a similar reason for making the switch. She says this is the third year the village is collecting them for residents and it has worked well in the past.
It’s still unclear if residents will need to notify their bank if they pay their taxes through an escrow.
