Richmond accidentally sends tax payment reminder to county residents
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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
An unknown number of Henrico and Chesterfield residents recently received a postcard from the city of Richmond telling them that the mailing addresses for their tax and utility payments are changing.
Why it matters: People in Henrico and Chesterfield don't live in Richmond.
State of play: Richmond officials announced last month that the city is changing where locals should send payments for monthly utility bills and car and real estate taxes.
- If Richmonders mail payments to the old addresses after June 30, they could arrive late.
The latest: The city's postcard reminder about the change confused the Henrico and Chesterfield residents who got them, which led them to call and email county officials.
- Henrico issued a statement Friday telling county residents to disregard the postcard unless they use natural gas, like for cooking or a fireplace, and get it from the city.
- A Henrico spokesperson said they're not sure how many people received them.
- Chesterfield told Axios they've gotten at least 20 calls about it, as of Friday afternoon.
What they're saying: "I thought a small spillover into the areas of Chesterfield and Henrico was worth making sure we had 100% coverage in the City," said city spokesperson Ross Catrow, who apologized for the confusion.
- "I should definitely have been more thoughtful with the design and with the language on the postcard."
Flashback: If this sounds familiar, it might be because in March, Richmond sent out thousands of tax rebate checks to the wrong addresses.
What's next: Richmond residents who mail in these payments do need to update the address they're sending them to at their bank — as do those in the county who use Richmond Gas Works.
Karri Peifer contributed to this report