Framingham Mayor Waives Penalties & Interest For Certain Taxes & Fees Paid Before June 30; Announces Parking Meters Will Not Be Enforced During Pandemic

The following is a press release issued Friday, April 10 after 4 p.m. by the City of Framingham. It is published as received.

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FRAMINGHAM – Today, April 10, Mayor Yvonne M. Spicer issued an order pursuant to her recent declaration of a Local State of Emergency on March 22, 2020, made retroactive to March 10, 2020.

The order provides for several different measures to help avoid unnecessary physical contact between City officials and residents to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus in Framingham. It also protects
residents from increasing financial burdens and potential loss of essential services provided by the City if they struggle from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak.

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First, the order directs the City’s parking enforcement officers not to enforce parking restrictions based on time or issue tickets for overtime parking violations anywhere in the City until the local state of emergency is lifted. Under this portion of the order, people parking in metered spaces in the City will not be ticketed if they do not use the parking meter, and tickets also will not be issued in spaces restricted by time (such as three-hour parking without a parking meter). This will avoid the need for residents to physically touch meters to insert payment or indirectly make contact with parking enforcement officers by retrieving the paper parking tickets usually placed on someone’s vehicle as part of enforcement.

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Second, under authority granted to her in recent state legislation, Mayor Spicer’s order waives interests and penalties on all City taxes and fees that are due on or after March 10, 2020, the start of the local state of emergency, so long as those taxes and fees are paid before June 30, 2020.

Third, the order ensures that City departments follow the requirements of Chapter 53 of the Acts of 2020, passed last week by the Legislature, not to terminate essential services of residents who are experiencing demonstrated hardships based on the COVID-19 outbreak, including the Governor’s recent order closing non-essential businesses, that was most recently extended to May 4, 2020. If residents are experiencing demonstrated hardship resulting in their inability to pay taxes and fees owed to the City between March 10, 2020, and June 30, 2020, the City will not take any steps to terminate those services for nonpayment under the Mayor’s order.

“Many of our residents and businesses are struggling through significant economic and other burdens caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. Many businesses are closed, and people have been laid off or have seen their paychecks reduced. Their budgets are now stretched for basic needs,” said Mayor Spicer. “I want our residents and businesses to know that the City will continue to do its part to help you focus on staying safe and healthy as we continue to address this unprecedented public health crisis.”