The City Council held a public hearing Oct. 21 on a proposed local law that would repeal section 4.1.4 of the city charter, the provision that currently gives taxpayers a 2.25 percent discount for paying property taxes early.

Several residents spoke against removing the discount, arguing it provides an incentive for on‑time payment and that the city benefits from receiving taxpayer funds earlier (and thus earning interest on those funds). Patty Clark, a long‑time resident, said she pays her taxes in March specifically to claim the discount and described it as an effective incentive. Sam Brewer, who spoke later in the hearing, argued from a business perspective that an early‑payment discount is a longstanding commercial practice and predicted removing it would increase delinquencies.

City staff and the finance presenter said the discount had a fiscal impact (the presenter cited a $367,936 impact on the annual budget in the administration’s analysis) and that the Charter Review Commission had previously discussed removing the discount. Officials said eliminating the discount is among several options the administration provided to the council to address budgetary pressures. The presenter also noted that many neighboring communities do not provide a similar discount and that New York City’s comparable program caps the discount at 0.5 percent.

The council did not vote on the local law at the Oct. 21 meeting. Instead, members agreed to keep the public hearing open and to take additional public comment at a later meeting; the council scheduled continued consideration alongside other budget hearings. A city staff representative said that repealing the full section (4.1.4) would change the charter text to “reserved” if the council adopted the local law.

Why this matters: The discount is a visible, routine incentive for many taxpayers to pay early; removing it would increase near‑term revenue for the city but could change taxpayer behavior and collection patterns. The council framed the proposal as a budget-choice option, not a final decision.

What’s next: The public hearing remains open. The administration said it would consider public feedback and may present the item again at the council’s next meeting for further public comment before any vote.