Chattooga County could be facing a real problem with tax assessment appeals climbing to nearly 2,000 property owners.  The deadline to appeal property taxes is tomorrow, and there are expected to be even more last-minute appeals filed before the end of the day. 

With the huge volume of tax assessment appeals, there is no conceivable way the board of assessors can hear all those appeals in time to complete the county’s tax digest and have it approved by state officials.  Chattooga County Tax Commissioner Joy Hampton cannot send out property tax bills until the tax digest is complete and Commissioner Blake Elsberry and the Chattooga Board of Education sets the millage rate.  Once the bills finally do go out, taxpayers must have 60 days – by law – to pay those tax bills.

Normally, tax bills are due at the first of December, but with the delay, the deadline to pay property taxes may be closer to Christmas – or even after the first of the year.

Typically, the county government counts on those property tax payments to pay bills and tax anticipation loans before the end of the year.