by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Tax Collector Mike Hogan will ask City Council tonight to consider an emergency bill that would allow him to extend the deadline for mailing out the tax rolls. Hogan said the high number of residents appealing their property values to the Value Adjustment Board is to blame. However, asking Council for more time is par for the course.
“It’s done every year,” said Hogan. “The Florida statutes say I can ask for it and it has not caused a problem.”
Hogan said Property Appraiser Jim Overton can’t certify the tax rolls as complete until the VAB hears all property tax appeals and makes its rulings. Often, that takes until the end of the year and Hogan has to send his tax bills out by Oct. 31.
“I want to make sure the taxpayers get their discount,” said Hogan.
Property owners who pay their taxes early get a 4 percent discount.
Hogan said it takes his office about 15 working days to get the tax rolls out and he would prefer to mail them by Oct. 31. If Council approves Hogan’s bill — it’s on the agenda tonight — taxpayers will get their property tax bills in time to take advantage of the 4 percent discount that extends through the month of November.
“City Council always approves this,” said Hogan. “It happens every year. It’s a perfunctory thing.”
Hogan said while the number of protests the VAB hears annually goes up, the numbers indicate a vast majority of property owners accept their proposed taxes.