Mary Milz/Eyewitness News
Indianapolis - If you live in Marion County you should be getting your property tax bill in the next day or so. It should be the last time you have to ask "which one?"
Taxes have been behind ever since the governor ordered a reassessment following the property tax debacle two years ago. Now, Marion County Deputy Treasurer Tom Creaser says he's "99-percent sure" bills should be back on schedule with this latest deadline.
"We're almost there. The bills coming [in the mail this weekend] will be due in November and May and then we'll be back on schedule," he said.
The bill due November 19 is the one usually due in May. The bill usually due in November is now due in February.
It means taxpayers will once again be back on a fall/spring schedule with no more of those provisional or make-up bills.
"It has been confusing. You never know when you're going to get the bill. It will be good to be back [to a regular billing cycle]," said Norman Middleton of Beech Grove.
But to get back on schedule, taxpayers will have to pay up three times in six months (November, February and May) which is not exactly what Robin Parmin, a waitress, wants to hear.
"That's nice. In my business, it's the slowest time of the year and we're struggling to survive," said Parmin.
Some taxpayers will get a break. Lower tax caps kick in with November's bill.
According to Creaser, more than 41,000 rental property owners will see relief because of the caps, but just over 1,200 homeowners will benefit.
Creaser explained, "The cap is only in play if the rates have gone up and the taxes are higher, so [homeowners] this year are still under the 1.5-percent cap so there's still room for taxes to grow."
Except in a few places like Beech Grove, which saw one of the biggest tax increases in the county. Creaser said of the homes that reached the cap this year, 1,000 were in Beech Grove.
Beech Grove resident Art Adams said, "I'm definitely worried and I'd really like to see it level out. I'm really concerned for the poor people making $300 or $400 a week who can't afford a house."
Creaser noted that property tax caps will drop again in May, helping not just hundreds of homeowners, but thousands.
Treasurer's office - check your assessment.
