News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Cookeville is asking residents to consider their options for property tax payments before coming to city hall.
City Manager James Mills said due to COVID they would ask residents to consider mail, using a drop box or drive-thru and online services. Mills said he hopes city hall can have fewer restrictions in the future, but residents play a role in keeping the doors open.
“In the last couple of months, the number of people trying to come in without masks seems to increase. We’ve had a few who have gotten belligerent about having to put a mask on,” Mills said. “We want to keep city hall open but we want people to know they have alternatives if they don’t want to wear a mask and come in city hall.”
Putnam County is also requesting residents to try and help with in-person traffic during the pandemic. Putnam County Trustee Freddie Nelson said as the February 26 deadline gets closer, they are seeing more people coming into the trustees office.
“If people can go ahead and pay before it gets really busy, because of the COVID and the pandemic,” Nelson said. “It would be better if people paid just a little bit earlier this year.”
Nelson said the Trustee’s Office is requesting people wear a mask and to keep social distance when making payments. He said there are mailing, drop box and online alternatives to coming in-person.
Mills said residents helping to keep unnecessary foot traffic down will help get Cookeville’s City Hall back to normal.
“COVID continues to be a concern and we’re hopeful that if we can get through these next few months, more people will get vaccinated,” Mills said. “We can reduce some of the restrictions we’ve had to put in place.”
Cookeville property taxes are also due at the end of February. The final workday of February is the 26th and falls on a Friday.
Nelson said as long as a mail-in payment is dated by February 28, penalties and interest will not be charged. Nelson said the same goes for payments put into a drop box on February 27 and 28.
