Richmond, VA — The city of Richmond is facing significant issues with its property tax rebate program, which has impacted tens of thousands of residents. Initially designed to reward property owners with a four-cent reduction per $100 of assessed value, the rebate checks have been marred by several errors, causing confusion and frustration among Richmond residents.
The rebate program, aimed at providing financial relief to homeowners in 2024, quickly became a source of trouble for the city when it was revealed that many of the checks had been sent out with incorrect information. The city first reported problems on March 25, acknowledging that several thousand checks had been issued with the wrong names. Just over a month later, officials clarified that around 8,300 checks had been sent to the wrong recipients. Additional errors were uncovered, including checks being sent to incorrect individuals, as well as checks for properties that did not exist in 2024.
At the center of the controversy was Jamie Atkinson, the city’s Director of Revenue Administration, who oversaw the rebate process. Following the errors, Atkinson resigned from her position, leaving many to question the city’s ability to resolve the issues.
According to the city’s interim Chief Administrative Officer, Sabrina Joy-Hogg, a total of approximately 59,000 tax rebate checks were printed. However, when the errors were discovered, about 36,000 checks were held back, leaving only 23,000 to be mailed out. Of those, around 8,300 checks were addressed to the wrong payee, while another 2,000 were sent to the wrong individuals — in some cases, to the current property owner instead of the previous year’s taxpayer.
The issue has been compounded by the fact that many of the mailed checks have already been cashed. About 15,000 of the 23,000 checks were successfully cashed, leaving approximately 8,000 uncashed. When the error was first detected, the city did not issue a “stop payment” on the checks, which would have prevented residents from cashing the invalid checks. A stop-payment order was eventually put in place when the problem became apparent, but those who tried to cash the incorrect checks are now dealing with the added burden of potential fees from their banks.
As of May 5, 69 residents had applied for refunds for fees incurred due to the invalid checks. Applications for refunds are being reviewed, and residents who were charged fees have until May 31 to submit claims through RVA311 or by calling the city’s 311 service.
The city is working to correct the errors, but the process will not be complete until June. Joy-Hogg confirmed that all rebate checks are valid for 90 days, meaning that those that have not been cashed will expire on June 16. After that, the city will begin reprinting checks, with the goal of issuing new, correct checks by June 30. However, those who have already cashed their valid checks will not receive another rebate.
City council members expressed disappointment with the delays. Councilwoman Kenya Gibson described the situation as frustrating for residents, pointing out that while the city is quick to collect taxes, it has been slow to return the rebate money. Councilmember Ellen Robertson also voiced concerns, questioning why standard operating procedures (SOPs) for such a program were not put in place before it launched. Joy-Hogg admitted that quality control had been lacking and assured council members that new SOPs would be implemented going forward.
The resignation of Jamie Atkinson, who left the position less than a year after being hired, has raised additional questions about the city’s leadership. Councilmembers, including Sarah Abubaker, expressed concerns that the turnover in the Department of Finance might further hinder efforts to fix the issues and prevent similar mistakes in the future.
Joy-Hogg, however, refrained from commenting on Atkinson’s resignation, citing it as a personnel matter. When pressed by council members about the timeline and the department’s ability to address the errors, Joy-Hogg reassured the council that the city was actively working to resolve the situation.
Despite these assurances, the ongoing delays and errors have left many Richmond residents frustrated, with some questioning whether the city can effectively manage such critical programs moving forward. As the June deadline approaches, residents are left waiting for the resolution of what has become a costly and embarrassing mistake for the city of Richmond.
