Ra'anana cracks down on late tax payers

Opposition councilor Leah Halperin said the city was putting "great pressure" on residents, to the point where it had "crossed the borderline."

By MIRIAM BULWAR DAVID-HAY
Ra'anana is cracking down on residents who are even slightly late paying their municipal fees, reports www.local.co.il. But opposition councilors are criticizing the move, saying that Ra'anana has one of the highest collection rates of any city in Israel, and the "heavy-handedness" is unwarranted. According to the report, Ra'anana's lack of tolerance came to light after a resident, who was late paying his municipal taxes by just two weeks, received a notice from the city threatening legal action if he did not pay immediately. The bewildered resident said he always paid his bills on time, but in this case he had simply forgotten, and he could not understand why the city would immediately threaten him with legal action. Opposition councilor Leah Halperin said the city was putting "great pressure" on residents, to the point where it had "crossed the borderline." "The collection rate in Ra'anana is 93 percent, according to the municipality's own figures, and so there is no reason for this assault, which is unjustified, unnecessary and oppressive for residents," Halperin said. A municipal spokesman said there was a final payment date on every bill, and if it was not met, the city automatically sent out a letter demanding payment. The spokesman said the letter was designed to help residents avoid paying late fees.