Watertown school tax notices aimed to correct penalty error, city says
Watertown officials say school tax notices sent to some taxpayers were intended to correct an 8% late-payment penalty listed on original bills, replacing it with the correct 2% rate.
By Caleb Mercer, ClickNNY North Country Desk
Some Watertown taxpayers received “Delinquent School Taxes” notices from the Watertown City School District after the district’s original bills listed an 8% late-payment penalty instead of 2%, the city says.
The city said the notices were intended to provide corrected amounts due and did not necessarily mean a taxpayer had missed the school tax payment deadline. The city also apologized for confusion involving people who received notices after they had already paid.
School tax collection moved from the Watertown Comptroller’s Office to the school district beginning with the 2025 collection period. The district also corrected a calculation error affecting some STAR-exempt bills in 2025.
The 2026-27 Watertown school budget totals $112,121,818, including $18,386,780 funded by taxpayers. The levy increased 2.55%, while the overall budget rose 7.9%.
Owners of property inside the city pay school taxes to the school district. Property owners outside the city pay through the Jefferson County treasurer. Taxpayers with questions about the due date, penalty rate, corrected balance or a possible refund should contact district tax collector Jenna Ritz at 315-785-3713.
The city provides tax information through its Tax Bill Information page, and the school district lists its business office information on its official website.
Reported by ClickNNY and reviewed by an editor before publication.
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