Officials in Montgomery County are saying property tax collections are up despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Montgomery County Treasurer Russ Joseph and County Auditor Karl Keith say the county has pulled in more than $910 million in property tax revenue in 2020.
Officials say they are working to ease the tax paying burden for property owners. They’ve waived fees for online and e-check payments, and the tax payment deadline was extended by a month.
Treasurer Joseph says they’ll continue those efforts.
“We know that this pandemic is far from over," he says. "And we’ll continue to be here to help property owners through this crisis and are doing everything we can to provide is much needed resources for the local community."
County Auditor Karl Keith says property taxes have a complicated and controversial history but as a source of revenue for local governments, they can be a stabilizing force.
“I think this collection period makes that point very, very clearly,” he says. “These aren't tax dollars that are being sent off to Washington, or sent off to Columbus, or are going into other communities to provide support for other areas. No, these are tax dollars that are collected here and they stay here.”
County officials say 60 percent of the property tax dollars are going to Montgomery County’s school districts, with the rest going to cities and other local governments.
