From the Lafayette Journal & Courier:
The days of delayed tax bills seem to be in Tippecanoe County’s rearview mirror, which means more certainty for taxpayers.
Property tax bills were late starting in 2006 and running each year through 2009. Each year, there was a different glitch attributed to the late bills, and much of it was blamed on property tax reforms adopted around that time.
But county officials tied into the property tax collection process say Tippecanoe County is on track for the traditional May 10 and Nov. 10 collection deadlines.
“Everything is on target to be on time,” Tippecanoe County AssessorLinda Phillips said.
Phillips’ job is to assess the property value for each parcel in the county and adjust those assessments up or down, depending on the trends of property sales. That task was completed several months ago and now Phillips’ office is currently working its way through about 1,800 appeals.
Tippecanoe County Auditor Jennifer Weston certified the county’s assessed value on Jan. 10 – which was 20 days earlier than the step was completed in 2012 for the last tax bill cycle.
Those certified assessments and the budgets from each taxing entity in the county are now being reviewed by the Department of Local Government Finance, Weston said.
This state agency will calculate the tax rate for each entity and mail out a notice, which Weston expects to receive any day.
The state department has until the end of February to send the budget orders, she said.
From her perspective, the county tax bill process is on pace to hit the April 1 deadline to get the information to Tippecanoe County Treasurer Robert Plantenga, who will print and mail the bills as well as collect the payments.
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http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013301280023
