It’s time again to get those utility bills out and apply for your Utility User’s Tax rebate. The city finance department will start accepting those applications on May 1, so I looked at the city website to see if the applications are available – no luck.
I wrote a quick e-mail to the finance department and city manager Brian Nakamura, asking about the application. As if they had anticipated my need, I checked my snail mail box just a couple of hours later, and found a little surprise – a letter from the city informing me that rebates would soon be available. Enclosed was the 2012-13 rebate application.
Ask and ye shall receive.
We may have received this letter because my family has applied for and received the UUT rebate for a good five or more years now, can’t remember how long. We’re on The List. I might be wrong though – this may be a new effort on the part of our staffers to get people in there for their rebates!
Yeah, stop it.
At any rate, it’s a questionable use of staff time and postage. Wouldn’t you think, if I had applied so many times before, I’d be a little more likely to be onto it? In fact, I just posted a blog about it a couple of weeks ago. Unless they are mailing these notices out to each and every city resident and utility customer, it’s just wasteful.
How should they publicize this rebate? In your phone, PG&E and water bills, wouldn’t you think? In fact, the cell phone carriers who were taking UUT out of your phone bill should also have been asked to notify their customers they can get that refunded as well. It is a simple matter to put notices in utility bills, all the city has to do is ask these providers for some help in notifying customers they may be eligible for these programs.
At any rate, they should have that application available on the website by next week, probably by May 1.
I hate to be an ingrate and a nag, but, they could also make it possible for folks to apply electronically, via e-mail. That just seems like a no-brainer to me, given all their posturing of “Sustainability”. My friend Jim said he gets his utility bills electronically in an effort to, if not save the Earth, at least lessen his personal impact on our great planet. Why would he want to print those out, on dead tree flesh! and drag them Downtown? Or worse, shove them into an envelope, glue on a gob of half-dollar stamps, and add them to the mail stream?!
He should be able to keep them in a folder on his computer, and when the time comes for rebates, attach said folder to an e-mail, along with an application that he was able to fill out on his computer as well, and send it directly to the Finance Department. No trees harmed in the application for this rebate!
I’ve asked for this a few times, but they haven’t even responded. I just asked again yesterday, as if I have some predilection for banging my head on the backs of people’s soft and manicured hands. I realize now, I have to make a formal request of the Internal Affairs Committee. I’ll do that, and I’ll let you know how that goes.
Below I have posted the eligibility requirements and the application. Click on them and you can print them out on your dead tree flesh and take them in for your rebate.
UPDATE: Frank Fields over in the Finance Department tells me that application form should be available on the city website today (Monday, April 29), but I still haven’t heard back on my request to make this rebate available via e-mail.
Chico Taxpayers Association 
Hi Juanita: I have admired your hard hitting letters to the ER editor for many years. There are many similarities in our local governments (Chico and Orland) Perhaps we can share some of our insights. I believe I spoke to you on the phone a few years ago. Bob Bishop
Thanks for coming over Bob!
You are so right, it just occurs to me (like a rolling pin upside the head), we should be comparing notes on these government issues. I haven’t read the Press Register for at least a year, and I’m completely in the dark about Orland issues. For that matter, I guess I should be keeping up more on all the local towns. You’re right – there are many similarities in our local governments, and there’s many differences, some of them pretty darned different.
I’ve heard labor problems out of both Oroville and Biggs – how’s it going over there in the city of Orland?