New tax bills hitting county residences

New tax bills hitting county residences

Tim Leeds

The new tax statements that include amounts still due for school districts in Hill County hit the mail last week, and the Hill County Treasurer said this morning that some people already have been in to pay.

Treasurer Sandy Brown, who took office in January, said the first statements were mailed out Thursday, and people started coming in to pay Friday.

"We have been collecting them, " she said.

The new statements were mailed out after it was discovered that part of the taxes due for school district revenue had not been included when the data was entered last fall.

The amounts in question are for what is known as above-base funding, an amount the Office of Public Instruction calculates, with part of that amount included in local property tax assessments.

The districts impacted — not all Hill County school districts were to receive above-base funding this year — have said if the money is not collected and distributed quickly, they may run out of money by April.

The amounts due will vary by the type and value of property owned, as well as the amount of the above-base funding due to the local school district.

Brown recommended people with mortgages and escrow accounts normally used to pay their property taxes contact their individual mortgage companies. Whether the amount will be paid by the escrow or must be paid directly by the property owner could vary from company to company.

While property tax owners are recommended to contact their individual accountants, taxes typically are counted on the year they are paid. Although the assessment is for last year, the additional assessments likely will be counted against the 2011 tax year.

The total amounts due in above-base funding vary by the districts impacted. The Havre High School district is scheduled to receive nearly $971,00 in above-base funding, with the Havre elementary district set for more than $1,416,000.

The North Star High School district in Rudyard is scheduled to receive more than $256,980 in above-base funding this year, and the elementary school in Gildford to receive more than $142,400.

The Gildford Colony Elementary School district also was affected, and it is scheduled to receive more than $10,600 this year.

Brown said that the amounts received Friday and today — all statements were mailed out last week except for the Chester/Joplin-Inverness school district, which will go out later this week — will be distributed to the schools in March.

Payments received in March will be distributed in the first part of April.

The new tax statements that include amounts still due for school districts in Hill County hit the mail last week, and the Hill County Treasurer said this morning that some people already have been in to pay.

Treasurer Sandy Brown, who took office in January, said the first statements were mailed out Thursday, and people started coming in to pay Friday.

"We have been collecting them, " she said.

The new statements were mailed out after it was discovered that part of the taxes due for school district revenue had not been included when the data was entered last fall.

The amounts in question are for what is known as above-base funding, an amount the Office of Public Instruction calculates, with part of that amount included in local property tax assessments.

The districts impacted — not all Hill County school districts were to receive above-base funding this year — have said if the money is not collected and distributed quickly, they may run out of money by April.

The amounts due will vary by the type and value of property owned, as well as the amount of the above-base funding due to the local school district.

Brown recommended people with mortgages and escrow accounts normally used to pay their property taxes contact their individual mortgage companies. Whether the amount will be paid by the escrow or must be paid directly by the property owner could vary from company to company.

While property tax owners are recommended to contact their individual accountants, taxes typically are counted on the year they are paid. Although the assessment is for last year, the additional assessments likely will be counted against the 2011 tax year.

The total amounts due in above-base funding vary by the districts impacted. The Havre High School district is scheduled to receive nearly $971,00 in above-base funding, with the Havre elementary district set for more than $1,416,000.

The North Star High School district in Rudyard is scheduled to receive more than $256,980 in above-base funding this year, and the elementary school in Gildford to receive more than $142,400.

The Gildford Colony Elementary School district also was affected, and it is scheduled to receive more than $10,600 this year.

Brown said that the amounts received Friday and today — all statements were mailed out last week except for the Chester/Joplin-Inverness school district, which will go out later this week — will be distributed to the schools in March.

Payments received in March will be distributed in the first part of April.