Pulaski County property tax collections to start

Pulaski County expects $488M, adds spay-neuter donations

Pulaski County tax revenue
Pulaski County tax revenue

The Pulaski County tax collector will be opening the books on Tuesday, and residents can begin paying 2016 property taxes.

This year, the tax collector is charged with collecting $488 million in personal, real estate, and business property taxes for the 2016 cycle, a $21 million increase over last year.

Taxpayers will notice one new feature when making payments this year: a $5 voluntary donation option that will go toward the county's newly created Voluntary Animal Control Spay/Neuter Tax. Through an ordinance created by the Pulaski County Quorum Court last year, the option gives taxpayers an opportunity to contribute to the fund through their personal property taxes.

On each personal property tax bill, residents will find a paper coupon they can submit along with a $5 addition via mail to the county's collection address. If paying online, residents will find a check-box they can mark to automatically volunteer the $5 amount to their total amount owed.

Residents can opt in $5 only once per personal property tax bill per year. The tax bills account for property including vehicles, boats and RVs. If residents want to contribute another amount, they can fill out a separate donation form, which can be found online at pulaskicountytreasurer.net or at any one of the treasurer's six branches.

County officials have yet to outline exactly how the spay-neuter fund will be spent. The fund is expected to grow until the Quorum Court appropriates the dollars to a specific spay-neuter service.

"We don't want people to think it's for animal wellness or the care of existing animals -- it's not for food, shelter, or kennels," said Pulaski County Tax Collector Debra Buckner. "It's for spay and neuter only."

On Feb. 21, the county's tax office will send out emails to residents notifying them of due taxes. Then, beginning March 1, the office will begin sending out 285,000 paper bills in batches of 40,000 per day over several days, although roughly 60 percent of residents will end up paying online.

Residents have until Oct. 16 before taxes become delinquent.

The $21 million increase for 2016, a 4.5 percent increase over 2015, is the largest year-over-year taxable revenue increase since 2009.

Buckner attributes the rise to the creation of the Jacksonville/North Pulaski School District, for which Jacksonville voters approved a millage rate of 7.6 last year. The property tax for that district will help finance a new high school, elementary school and four expanded elementary campuses.

Because 2017 is a reappraisal year, which happens every five years, Chief Deputy Treasurer Bentley Hovis expects an even larger increase in next year's tax revenue.

Of this year's $488 million, roughly two-thirds will go toward the county's various school districts. Other portions will go toward libraries, county and cities' road funds, fire and police pensions, Arkansas Children's Hospital, the county jail and other government expenses.

It is unlikely, however, that Buckner's office will collect the full $488 million by the Oct. 16 deadline. On average, roughly 4 to 6 percent of what it bills becomes delinquent. Currently, the hip-hop radio station KZTS-FM 101.1 owes the highest amount of delinquent taxes at $34,834, according to the tax collector's office.

Metro on 02/05/2017

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