Thurston Treasurer extends property tax deadline due to COVID-19 impacts
Thurston County Treasurer Jeff Gadman has pushed the deadline for first half property tax payments to June 1 in light of the COVID-19 public health crisis and its impacts on businesses and individuals. The usual deadline is April 30.
Still, Gadman is asking those who can pay early to do so, to ensure adequate funding for essential services.
Gadman told The Olympian he made the decision after much discussion with taxing districts to find a date that wouldn’t leave them in a position where they couldn’t provide services. Property taxes account for a significant portion of funding for services vital to responding to the spread of COVID-19, such as Public Health and Social Services, fire districts, and law enforcement, according to a county press release.
“The first consideration is that the tax districts need the property tax payments in order to provide these vital services that everybody needs. but then, realizing the tremendous economic impact of business closures, people having to stay at home — money is not being spent in the economy the way it was,” Gadman said. “So, even people that are working at, say, a restaurant offering take-out, they’re not earning what they once did. Then, the thought goes to: I need to do something that I have in my power to help people.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news/thurston-treasurer-extends-property-tax-deadline-due-to-covid-19-impacts/ar-BB11Yeqe?ocid=hplocalnews