Property tax bills stalled
By Debbie Lowe Staff writer

Brewington

Carroll County residents will experience a delay in receiving property tax bills this spring, according to county treasurer Jane Brewington, auditor Beth Myers and assessor Doris McLeland. Tax bills are usually mailed out by April 25. No one can be certain when the statements will get into the mail.

"It's not going to happen on time this year," Brewington told the Comet Thursday. "We are hoping to get a collection date by the end of June."

"Whenever the collection date is, we will make sure the public is aware of it," she added.

Brewington said her staff monitors a map of the state on the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance Web site daily. The map depicts each county's status in the procedure. She said her staff has fielded several telephone calls from property owners this spring.

Brewington said the problem lies with the new property tax assessment m e t h o d c a l l e d 'trending.'

McLeland agreed. A total of 439 assessment appeals involving 169 property owners have been heard since the first of the year.

She said property owners received assessments in late November, several months later than normal. The assessor was required by law to allow 45 days for appeals to be received by her office before any paperwork could be forwarded on to the auditor's office.

"It took us a long time to get everyone finished with their appeals," McLeland said.

After the appeals were completed, forms were sent to the auditor's office.

Myers said her office is now waiting on tax rates to be set by DLGF. Rates are expected by mid-May, at which time additional calculations will be completed. Within two weeks from the time the tax rates are received, it is expected that statements will be printed.

Although Myers' timetable is more optimistic than Brewington's, it is a fact the statements will not be sent out at the normal time.

Myers said property owners will have the standard 15 days to pay the spring installment after they receive the statement.

Myers