Here’s another case study in why Mount Vernon residents don’t trust City Hall — and why we shouldn’t.
A Mount Vernon resident noticed that his tax bill had increased by more than the 5.47% adopted by City Council. He spoke to another resident, who spoke to another, who checked her mother’s tax bill and noticed something even worse: an increase of nearly 7.5%.
Digging deeper, she found the real problem — one that should have set off alarms inside City Hall immediately: the low-income senior refuse fee had increased from $55 to $110.
A 100% increase.
Not a rounding error.
Not “a few dollars.”
A doubling — for low-income seniors.
This didn’t happen because a computer glitched or a line of code went rogue. It happened because City Council adopted legislation that, as written, authorized the increase — and the Assessor did exactly what the law told her to do.
The City’s Comptroller, Dr. Darren Morton, confirmed in writing that:
- The legislation increased the low-income senior refuse fee from $50 (or $55) to $110
- The regular refuse fee increased from $200 to $225 — a 12.5% increase
- His understanding was that the senior fee was supposed to increase by $5 — to $60 — not by $55, to $110
Read that again – low-income seniors: +$55 (or $60); everyone else: +$25
This wasn’t just harsh — it was sloppy. Sloppy enough to double a fee in law, pass it through City Council, place it on tax bills, and mail it out to residents without a single person stopping to ask the most basic question: does this make sense?
But nobody caught it. Nobody flagged it. Nobody warned residents.
To his credit, when the resident raised the issue, the Comptroller responded (a rarity in City Hall, unless the response is to be nasty on social media). But the resident had to email repeatedly for updates, and nearly two weeks passed. Two weeks, and still:
- No public notice
- No immediate correction
- No clear answer about refunds
All while the January 31 payment deadline loomed.
That delay creates a second injustice: many seniors may already have paid the inflated bill — because most people don’t assume the City accidentally doubled a fee targeting low-income seniors.
Hopefully, City Hall will issue credits automatically, and seniors won’t have to fight to get their own money back. Government shouldn’t run on hope—but all too often, that’s all Mount Vernon residents are left with.
What Should You Do Now?
Mount Vernon taxpayers should not assume their bills are correct. This episode makes clear that the City isn’t checking them — so residents have to.
- Pull out your 2025 and 2026 tax bills
- Calculate your actual percentage increase
- Look closely at fees, not just taxes — because fees are the other way this City raises taxes without calling them taxes
- If something doesn’t add up, ask questions — in writing
- Make a record. Keep it.
Because if the City can accidentally double a fee for low-income seniors, it can make other mistakes too — and it won’t catch them unless residents do.
Stay frosty, folks — because your local government isn’t.