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That day, one cashier processed 376 payments by 2:45 p.m. and the office had collected $500,000 by 3:40 p.m. Chase Bank had picked up mail from the Post Office and processed $1.393 million of Fairfield's tax payments by the same time that day. It's easier for them, because they don't handle cash.
Gorzelany said his staff of five and a half people work hard and "I tell people we're really staffed for non-collection months. For collection months (July, October, January, and April), we're overwhelmed."
The other months, the staff sends out delinquent notices and supplemental tax bills for those who register a motor vehicle after Oct. 1, as well as field phone calls.
The good news is that most Fairfielders do pay their taxes. The even better news is that Gorzelany increased the collection rate after he took office sixteen years ago.
For the 2009 tax year that ended on June 30, 98.9 percent had paid their real estate taxes compared to 98.2 percent for the 1992 tax year; the same year-to-year comparison for motor vehicle taxes is 96.9 percent versus 91.7 percent; for personal property taxes, 98.6 percent versus 95.2. "So, there's substantial improvement in every category," said Gorzelany.
"For the last six years, the tax collection rate has been 99 percent or above. Because we collect so much, very little has to be put in reserves," he noted. "When I got here, they were putting 3 percent in reserves for uncollected taxes. Now, only 1.7 percent is uncollected."
The $5.2 million that went uncollected (reserves) in 1993 equaled 5.8 percent of the tax levy of $89 million. For 2009, there's $3.6 million delinquent on a levy of $215 million, which is only 1.7 percent. "So, we've made a serious dent. In effect, we've returned the difference to Fairfield taxpayers," said Gorzelany, noting that if the delinquency rate was still 5.8 percent today, there would be $12 million in unpaid taxes.
How has he managed to lower that delinquency rate?
One efficiency was a computer program that lists delinquent taxpayers according to the amount they owe rather than alphabetically. This means that his staff doesn't have to start sending delinquency notices to those who owe relatively small amounts, but can begin with those who owe the most.
In addition, more active tax collecting techniques have paid off for Fairfield.
Three real estate lien sales in the past 16 years, two to mortgage companies and one to an investment company, have given these third parties the right to collect taxes, interest and even to sell the properties of delinquent tax payers, if the parties can't come to an arrangement. The companies had to buy the liens on an 'all or none' basis and they had to buy future liens also.
Notices of intent to file a lien on real estate are sent out in May for those who owe over $10,000 for more than a year.
Personal property taxes are levied on machinery and furniture and are due the first of July and January. Businesses self-report what they own, but they can be subject to a surprise audit at any time. Delinquency notices give businesses ten days to pay before the tax debt is turned over to the state marshal. The latter has more power than the tax collector, having the ability to tax bank accounts or payroll, to confiscate property, to conduct a tax sale, to sell the property and to actually close a business until the owner pays.
"Part of the improvement in collection is that we let tax payers know that we are going to take action and that helps the people who are paying taxes," said Gorzelany.
Unlike those who are delinquent on other taxes, people who owe motor vehicle taxes aren't given advance warning. Instead, delinquencies are immediately reported to the DMV, so people cannot re-register their cars, unless they pay up.
Sewer bills are due Oct. 1 and April 1. Most pay the first installment, because they've just gotten the bill in September, but many forget the second installment.
Delinquent notices are sent out, but for some reason, many still don't pay. If 3,000 delinquent notices are sent out, there may be 1,700 liens.
"I don't get it. I just don't understand it," Gorzelany said, wondering why people would let the town place a lien on their houses for such a small amount of money.
Sewer bills average about $292 per year, an average that includes Fairfield University.
That's one reason the tax collector would like to make all sewer bills payable in the first installment. It would help his office staff, too.
For all taxes, "We try to make it easy on people," said Gorzelany, noting that paying online costs only 25 cents if done through a checking account, compared to a cost of 44 cents for a first-class stamp. He points out that either is a lot less than it costs to get in your car and drive downtown. People can also pay online by credit card, but that will cost them a hefty three percent.
If Gorzelany had a magic wand, he would get people to read their tax bills front and back. "It would save them a lot of grief," he said.
"I get many calls asking what we can do to waive the penalty. We can't, because it's based on state law," he said of the or 1.5 percent per month penalty for lateness.
At the entrance of the tax office are photos of Fairfield, the town that Gorzelany has lived in for 39 years. More of his photos are currently at the Fairfield Arts Council on Sanford Street.
"We love the town," he said, speaking for his wife, Connie, as well. The two met in his third year at Fairfield University. Together, they have 35-year-old twin daughters, both of whom are good advertisements for the Fairfield public school system. One is getting a doctorate at McGill University and the other is Director of Competition for a biotech firm in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Sailing on a 24-foot, then a 27-foot sailboat, was once a favorite family activity.
After a seven year wait, the Gorzelanys even earned a coveted marina slip in Fairfield. Sending the twins to college put an end to all boat ownership, but not to sailing with friends.
Stanley has an MBA from Sacred Heart University and worked for Price Waterhouse, then for a few engineering companies as a controller, before landing in the Fairfield Tax Collector's office. After three years on the job, he became a certified tax collector, and, for the two years that ended this past March, he was president of the Connecticut Tax Collector's Association.
Stanley and Connie have even gone the entrepreneurial route, owning a Snelling and Snelling franchise for a few years before they sold it. Connie is a registered nurse and now a director of recruiting for the nursing school of the College of New Rochelle, having previously recruited nurses for Bridgeport Hospital.
One other word to the wise from the tax collector? Taxes must be paid, whether you receive a bill for them or not.
