The city is getting tough on bill collection.
Top officials today approved new regulations that would require all potential civil service and exempt employees be fully paid on all city taxes and fees -- or have entered a payment agreement -- before they could start a city job.
Revenue Commissioner Keith Richardson said the city will check to see if a new hire is up to date on bills and taxes. If they owe money, they'll get 20 days to either pay in full or enter a payment agreement through payroll deductions.
The city Administrative Board – which includes the mayor, the managing director and the finance director -- today approved a new civil service regulation that would cover civil service hires. That policy should be in place in a month. And a similar rule was approved for non-civil service hires also.
Richardson said the city has also been cracking down on current employees who owe. Letters were sent to 1,491 city workers with delinquent bills in May. The number with outstanding bills is down to 872 now. Richardson said the city controller is expected to soon send them a letter warning of payroll deductions if the employees don't settle the debts.