The fees Oxford Township charges local educational entities to collect their summer property taxes were increased by officials last week.
Effective with the July 1 billing, the township has raised its prices from $1.50 to $2 per parcel for the Oxford and Lake Orion school districts; from $1 to $1.50 per parcel for the Oakland Intermediate School District; and from 60 cents to $1 per parcel for Oakland Community College.
‘Our goal is to help offset some of our expenses, but also not to make our fees too exorbitant as to be cost-prohibitive to the schools,? wrote Treasurer Joe Ferrari, noting the township sent out 8,753 summer tax bills last year.
The reason is purely financial.
‘Over the years the township’s costs (personnel, printing, postage, etc.) have gone up, while the interest income generated on the summer tax collection has gone down significantly,? Ferrari wrote. ‘During earlier times, we would earn as much as $80,000-plus in interest to offset our administrative costs. For the 2009 tax collection, we earned a little over $3,500 in interest income. ? CJC