Tazewell considers estimated tax bills

Move would mean two bills for taxpayers

BY KAREN McDONALD
OF THE JOURNAL STAR

PEKIN - The way to fix Tazewell County's tax bill problems isn't through "accelerated billing," which would confuse taxpayers, double the county's work and cost an estimated $100,000, Treasurer Duane Gray warned Friday.

Some county officials are considering mailing estimated tax bills next year, which means property owners would get two tax bills. The first would be based on the previous year's assessments; the second would be adjusted to reflect the current year's taxes and either require another payment or a refund.

"I don't think the county realizes the problems they'd be creating with this," Gray said. "It would confuse the taxpayers, require additional computer programming and double the bookkeeping work."

He estimates accelerated billing would cost about $100,000, including the $20,000 in postage to mail tax bills twice. The full County Board has not yet discussed the issue and would have to approve it.

But Finance Committee Chairman David Zimmerman said despite the potential extra cost to the county, it's the least it can do. Late tax disbursements this year will cost school districts more than $400,000 in interest and create cash flow problems with other taxing bodies.

"It would be a significant investment (to the county), but this is the county's fault and it's costing the taxing bodies and school districts hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost interest. So, it's a small thing we can do," Zimmerman said.

Other County Board members said estimated billing should be a last option - issues in the Supervisor of Assessment's Office need to be addressed first.

"There are other corrections that we can make well before we have to resort to estimated tax bills - such as upgrading our outdated tax assessment computer software and hardware," member Michael Godar said.

Tazewell County tax bills have been late since 1999. This year, the county was three months late because of several issues, most notably the loss of experienced personnel within the supervisor of assessments office and the addition of properties omitted from the 2004 tax rolls.

Area school superintendents presented a letter to the County Board in June voicing their concerns about late disbursements and encouraging them to take steps to remedy the problem.

All the additional work for the estimated billing would be lapped onto the treasurer's office. Although Gray said he's not opposed to more work, it's not the solution to the county's ongoing tax bill problems.

"I can just hear people say, 'You already billed me once. I paid my tax bill. That should be enough. Why am I getting another one?' " Gray said.

Karen McDonald can be reached at 346-5300 or kmcdonald@pjstar.com