Portsmouth treasurer mails $2.7 million tax bill to APM

PORTSMOUTH

City Treasurer Jimmy Williams said Friday that his office sent APM Terminals a personal property tax bill for about $2.7 million.

The city’s Commissioner of Revenue, Franklin D. Edmondson, gave the treasurer’s office the company’s assessment information Friday, Williams said.

If the bill is paid within 45 days of July 1, the payment can be applied this fiscal year, said City spokeswoman Dana Woodson.

The timing of the billing became an issue earlier this month after the city’s chief financial officer and acting city manager, Betty Burrell, questioned why APM Terminals had not paid its taxes by June 5, the due date for personal property levies.

APM Terminals is the city’s largest taxpayer. Burrell was concerned that the lack of a payment could lead to a budget shortfall in the city’s budget this fiscal year, which began July 1, 2008 and ends June 30.

Allison Enedy, an APM spokeswoman, and Edmondson said Friday that the company requested an extension on its personal property taxes in February. The extension gave the company more time to assess its inventory, she said.

Edmondson said state law prohibits him from disclosing taxpayer information. However, he said Friday that he is now able to discuss APM’s tax information because company officials granted him permission to speak.

So far, Edmondson said his office has granted about 75 extensions this year, which is roughly one percent of the city’s business filings.

APM’s filing date for its inventory was extended to April 30. That’s 15 days past the date Edmondson is required by state law to pass the tax books for personal and business taxes to the City Treasurer for anyone or business that has not been granted an extension.

That’s why APM’s assessment was not sent to the treasurer’s office sooner and with the majority of this year’s primary billing, Edmondson said.

He also said his office assesses property on a calendar year basis, which does not always square with the city’s fiscal year schedule.

“Sometimes they coincide, other times they do not because of extensions and other things that are beyond our control,” Edmondson said. “The assessments are made on the value of the property and not necessarily on the budget needs of the city.”

Enedy said: “On our side of things, certainly everything was done according to the appropriate timeline and according to the state code.”

She said that Maersk, APM’s parent company, the company’s tax department and Edmondson’s office have a good working relationship.

The marine cargo terminal paid more than $6.7 million in real estate and personal property taxes last year.

Jen McCaffery, (757) 446-2627, jen.mccaffery@pilotonline.com