Taxes due Wednesday, abatement apps due Thursday

Property taxes are due Wednesday, and nearly 1,500 property owners have been approved for property tax abatements.

The 1.5 percent penalty for late taxes will kick in Thursday.

Applications for tax abatements are due Thursday at 5 p.m., and so far, approved applications will mean a $1.97 million loss in property tax revenue for the city, county, and school district. That's less than numbers that were projected earlier this month.

Flood victims who lost the use of their property for a time because of the flood qualify for an abatement for that time, and should get their applications in quickly.

"There's not going to be a second chance on this," Supervisor Linda Langston said.

Lisa Kuzela, a school board member and flood victim, criticized the supervisors Monday for not mailing the applications to flood victims. She said many people do not know abatement is available to them.

She exhorted people who know flood victims to make sure they know about tabatement and have time to get an application.