Local Taxes Roll In As Deadline Arrives

Overall Real Estate, Personal Property Bills About The Same As Last Year

The deadline to pay annual tax bills is Monday, Dec. 31 and citizens are urged to bring in their bills or drop them in the mail to avoid penalties.
Pike County Collector Marty Morrison pointed out the office will be open on the deadline day until 3 p.m. when the office will close to observe the New Year’s holiday. Individuals can bring in bills on Monday, Dec. 31 until 3 p.m. The office will remain open through the lunch hour as they have most of the month to accommodate taxpayers.
It should also be noted that payments postmarked by Dec. 31 will be accepted with no penalty and a receipt will be mailed to any individual who opts for this method.
“The largest percentage of taxes come in the last week,” Morrison noted. “It gets really busy around here,” she explained.
The collector’s office hours are 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Morrison said the office has remained open through the lunch hour since bills were mailed and will continue for the first few days of January to make payments more convenient.
After the deadline, a percentage penalty is applied that compounds every month the bill is delinquent. Individuals can find a penalty schedule on the front of the bills.
Over the past few years, the collection rate has dipped slightly from more than 95 percent to around 92 percent of bills. County and municipal officials are hopeful this will be a better year to bolster tight budgets.
“The economy has definitely made a difference in collections the past few years.”
She added that a large percentage of the delinquency tends to be those who pay late rather than not at all.
“I think there are people who wait and use their federal income tax return,” Morrison remarked.
Overall, the county’s taxes are about the same as last year with all things considered. Real estate taxes are up just over $232,000. Personal property taxes also increased slightly by just over $62,000. Railroad and utilitiy receipts slipped backward by just under $70,000. Overall the total increase is over $225,000.
Collectively, the county billed over $15.8 million. A total of $8,146,976.46 was billed in real estate taxes and $3,751,669.99 was billed in personal property taxes. The railroad and utility receipts came in at $3,987,338.93 for this year.
Morrison stressed the importance of checking bills for accuracy. She urged citizens to call the office immediately with any concerns.
“If someone failed to receive a bill or purchased property this year and didn’t receive a bill, it’s also very important that they call or stop by the office as soon as possible to avoid a penalty.”
The Collector’s office can be reached at 573-324-3281.
Local municipalities are also hard at work collecting tax bills before the Dec. 31 deadline. Those who failed to receive a municipal tax bill are urged to contact their local city hall to clarity the situation.