http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wium/local-wium-903742.mp3
Macomb, IL – McDonough County property tax payers will likely get their bills this week into early next week. County Clerk Gretchen DeJaynes says taxpayers haven't received their bills this early in years.
DeJaynes says the first due date for property taxes will be June 28th this year, and the second will be September 1. That's compared to a first due date of September 14, and a second due date of October 19 last year. In 2008, the due dates were September 5 and October 6.
The tax bills are required by law to go out at least 30 days before the first due date.
DeJaynes says taxpayers will benefit from having tax due dates that are more spread out. But the biggest beneficiaries will be the county's taxing districts.
"The taxing districts will get their money quicker. School districts, library districts, park districts," she says. "When you've got September 14th for your first due date, that makes it October before they get any money."
DeJaynes says more than half of property taxes paid in McDonough County pay for the local school districts. That makes the earlier due dates important this year, especially considering the dire financial straits faced by the state.
She cites a number of reasons for why the process is moving more smoothly this year, not the least of which being a new software program administered by an Illinois based company.
"We got a DEVNET tax system," says DeJaynes. "It has a lot more auditing features. I can run 200 reports to audit taxes, which certainly makes it easier on our part. The system we had just didn't have the number of auditing features."
DeJaynes says taxpayers can expect to pay about what they did last year. The county is restricted in what it can levy due to PTELL restrictions, which this year amounted to 0.1% over last year.