GRADY COUNTY TAX COMMISSIONER Barbara Darus, seated, and members of her staff have completed their work processing 2019 tax bills. A third-party vendor is in the process of printing the bills and mailing them. Shown are, l-r, Laura Sellars, Elaine Anderson, Laura Robertson and Cathy Slaughter. Darus is optimistic the bills will be mailed by this Friday and taxes will be due Jan. 22.
It has been a month since the time when annual tax notices are traditionally mailed to local taxpayers, but the Grady County tax commissioner is hopeful the bills will be mailed by week’s end.
Tax Commissioner Barbara Darus says the Georgia Department of Revenue has approved the county’s 2019 tax digest and her office has submitted the data to the vendor she uses to print and mail the 14,159 tax notices.
“I’m just waiting to receive the proofs and as soon as I get those and sign off on them, the bills will be processed and mailed,” the tax commissioner said Tuesday. As of Tuesday night, Darus had not received the proofs, but she said her vendor had assured her the tax bills would be mailed by the end of the week.
“I’m expecting that they will be mailed by Friday and that would mean taxes would be due Jan. 22,” Darus said.
Grady County commissioners delayed setting a tax millage rate this year until after the Nov. 5 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax referendum was held. Without the passage of the one percent sales tax, the county commission was looking to have to raise taxes 4.75 mills, however, with the anticipated revenue from the tax, which voters overwhelming approved, commissioners were able to reduce the tax increase to 2 mills.
Traditionally, tax bills are mailed by Oct. 20 of each year and are due on Dec. 20.
Although bills have not been mailed yet, the tax commissioner says her office can begin accepting payments and online payments can also be processed.
Darus says the state Department of Revenue gave her the approval last Thursday to move forward with processing 2019 tax bills.
The tax commissioner also warns local vehicle owners whose birthdays are in January to be aware that renewal notices typically mailed to them 60 days in advance of their birthday will only have a 30 day notice.
Darus explained that she had to delay the mailing of the notices in order for the notices to include the correct millage rate on them.
“I just want the public to know they will receive their renewal notice later than normal if their birthday is in January. We will be back on track for the remainder of 2020,” the tax commissioner said.
