Personnel Department
SCHOOL TAX COLLECTOR
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS: Work involves responsibility for the collection and management of school district taxes, as set forth by New York State Education Law, Article 51, Section 2506. Responsibilities also include a variety of related financial and accounting functions, which may include reconciliations, preparation of financial statements and reports, and associated work. Work is performed in accordance with established policies, procedures, and in compliance with applicable New York State laws, rules and regulations. General direction is provided by the Board of Education and school superintendent, with allowance for considerable exercise of independent judgment. Performs related work as required.
TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES:
- Prepares school tax warrants, bills, Board of Education reports, state and county reports;
- Reviews and checks tax rolls for omissions and errors;
- Prepares and mails tax notices to all taxpayers in the school district;
- Collects school taxes in person and through bank lockbox services as well as online payments;
- Records payments according to name, address and time of payment
- Reviews and issues receipts for tax payments;
- Computes penalties for late payment and notifies school district officials of delinquent taxpayers;
- Uses specialized software associated with tax collection including daily importing and balancing of electronic bank records;
- Works directly with software consultants, assessors, County Finance Department and New York State Office of Real Property Tax Services;
- Responds to all tax-related inquiries and correspondence from residents, attorneys, title companies, and banks during tax season and throughout the year;
- Works closely with the School District Treasurer and other school district personnel to provide support in organizing and administering a variety of financial activities for the district;
- Reviews, develops, implements and maintains internal control procedures to ensure accuracy and integrity of district financial data;
- Prepares bank reconciliations and balances for a variety of accounts;
- Prepares monthly Treasurer reports for Board of Education review;
- Assists School District Treasurer in tracking and reporting capital projects information to New York State;
- Assists in preparation of schedules and annual financial statements required in the annual year-end closing process;
- Works closely with food service manager with regard to monthly reports, and files Child Nutrition program claims;
- Performs a variety of related activities as required.
Typical Work Activities are intended only as illustrations of possible types of work that might be appropriately assigned to an incumbent of this title. Work activities that do not appear above are not excluded as appropriate work assignments, as long as they can be reasonably understood to be within the logical limits of the job.
FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: Good knowledge of the laws, regulations, procedures and policies relating to collection of school district taxes; good knowledge of accounting principles, practices and techniques, particularly as they relate to governmental accounting; ability to use and learn software used for financial and tax accounting; ability to understand and interpret difficult written and tabular materials; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with supervisors, employees, program officials and others; tact and courtesy.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Qualifications determined by appointing authority.
10/90; 2/17
Exempt Class
Contact Us
Mission Statement
Our mission is to administer, in a fair and equitable manner, the provisions of New York State Civil Service Law and Putnam County Civil Service Rules with respect to the offices and employments in the classified service of Putnam County and the civil divisions therein, which include the towns, villages, school districts, libraries and special districts.
It is Putnam County Personnel Department’s responsibility to ensure Putnam County taxpayers of a public workforce qualified for their jobs pursuant to the principles of selection according to merit and fitness as set forth in Article 5, §6 of the New York State Constitution.
-
Paul Eldridge
Personnel Officer