Area Tax is a fee imposed to property owners who have objects that encroach into the public right of way.
Encroachments can include everything from awnings, marquees, signs, doorways, fire escapes, old coal
bins and the building itself. There are also linear encroachments which are typically communications related like fiber-optic
cables.
There is a 25 cents per square foot charge for these encroachments. Linear encroachments are charged 25 cents a linear foot.
Area taxes are included each year on the tax bill.
Department of Planning and Development Review and Public Works are responsible for permitting and collecting the paperwork for the
Encroachments. The paperwork is forwarded to the Assessor's office to calculate the total Area Tax due.
The Assessor's Office maintain the list of encroachments
and provides those Area Tax totals to the Finance department to be included on the tax bill.
If you have questions about the Area Taxes for your property, please call the Assessor's office.
If you have a question about the Encroachment process or if you would like more information, please visit
Public Works Right of Way Management.