HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 6920 KPORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 6920
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�E�orrrwo To the Mayor and Members of the City Council March 13, ]984
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�/ �rfxAyi Subject: TAX TITLE SEARCHES
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During the Pre-Council meeting of January 31, 1984, the City Council requested
information regarding the possibility of reducing staff in the Tax Division
as a result of the agreement with Metro Tax Service for direct access to tax
information through a remote terminal.
Title companies request information from the Tax Division regarding any out-
standing taxes due and/or assessments for paving, weeds and demolition on
forms specially designed for this purpose. The five service clerks in the
Tax Division retrieve this tax information from terminals located on their
desks, and the assessment section then provides the information required
on any assessments. This activity is performed on a part-time basis between
answering other public information requests by telephone or in person.
Effective June, 1983, the City raised its fee for such service from fifty
cents (50t) per request to ten dollars ($10) as recommended by David M.
Griffith and Associates, Ltd.
Pursuant to this increase, Metro Tax Service approached the City with a
proposal to pay all costs associated with remote access to the City's tax
file in order to query this information directly. An agreement was reached
whereby Metro would pay a one-time installation charge of $1,000 and a
monthly fee of $670 with a provision that the City could increase this fee
if the actual costs were not being covered.
This agreement was implemented at the end of November, 1983, and there have
been no requests for tax searches by Metro Tax Service in January or February,
1984.
The attached graph (Attachment A) indicates the demand for tax searches by
Metro Tax Service relative to that for all companies. At its highest per-
centage (in November, 1983) , Metro Tax Service represented 26.39% of the
total demand. Total requests for the period March, 1983, through February ,
1984, ranged from a low of 1,266 requests in January, 1984 to a high of
2,927 in June, 1983.
None of the service clerks performs tax searches on a full-time basis.
Since the requests are in writing, these clerks perform the searches
between responding to requests from the public in person and by telephone.
Since Metro Tax Service only represented a portion of the demand for tax
searches, a reduction in staff due to this agreement is not recommended.
If other companies approach the City with a desire to have direct access to
tax information, the resultant effect on demand will be evaluated and
staffing adjusted.
The 1984-85 fiscal year budget estimated revenues from tax searches, title
fees, and tax certificates at $158,500. The attached chart (Attachment B)
indicates the billings performed for the period October, 1983, through
February, 1984, and projects revenue from tax searches only for the period
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER - FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 6920 - Page 2
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�4fORTy To the Mayor and Members of the City Council March 13, 1984
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rTfxA`'� Subject: TAX TITLE SEARCHES
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March - September, 1984. This estimate is based on a very conservative
projection of 1,000 requests each month from all companies and $670 per
month from Metro Tax Service. These figures do not include revenues pro-
jected from title fees and tax certificates since these sources represent
a very small portion of revenues. These revenue projections indicate that
the City should meet or exceed the amount originally budgeted for tax
searches.
If additional information is desired, it will be supplied upon request.
�9 A7
6 , Robert L. Herchert
City Manager
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Attachments
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER -- FORT WORTH, TEXAS