A
city council member in Richmond, Virginia is warning residents with mortgages about "extra real estate tax bills" that were mailed out this week. Councilmember Andrew Breton advises against double-paying the bill, as it's typically handled directly by mortgage companies. The extra copy sent to homeowners is for informational purposes only and can be confusing.

    According to Mayor Danny Avula, a "system error" from the Richmond Finance Department led to the issue. He apologized for the confusion and said that residents who received the second-half real estate property tax bill will still have their lender pay it on their behalf. The mayor promised to provide more information on the city's website and through the 311 service.

    This is not the first issue with the finance department, as at least 200 incorrect personal property tax bills were sent out last week. A "conversion year glitch" affected vehicles over 20 years old, causing assessments to jump significantly. The finance department has been working to correct the errors and improve its data collection and processes.

    Councilmember Kenya Gibson expressed concern about the high rates of turnover in the finance department and called for accountability through training and consistency. The city is still addressing issues related to incorrect rebate checks issued earlier this year, which were attributed to poor quality controls and lack of standard operating procedures.