By Stephanie Nelson

The Brewton Standard

Escambia County property owners should soon receive their annual property tax notices Oct. 1, said Tax Assessor Tim Pettis.

Bills are due by Dec. 31, he said.

Pettis said the county is set to collect just over $16.5 million – a $2 million increase over the 2016 fiscal year.

The figure was assessed on more than 31,000 parcels of real property, meaning land and homes/buildings, as well as for personal property, which is equipment used by businesses.

There are a number property tax exemptions available to those who qualify, such as the homestead exemption and an exemption for the disabled and one for property owners over 65 who own and live on property.

Those who wish to apply must do so in the office.

To qualify for the homestead exemption, property owners must have resided in the property since at least last September.

If one qualifies, one must pay 10 percent the assessed value of the property, Pettis said.

In addition to property taxes, his office is also collecting fees for manufactured/mobile home registration, which is due from Oct. 1 through Nov. 30.

Those who do not pay by the Dec. 31 deadline will face a 3 percent penalty as well as other fees in January.

Payments may be made in person at the Escambia County Courthouse; mailed to P.O. Box 407, Brewton, AL 36426; or made by credit/debit card by calling 251.867.0299 or at the counter in the courthouse. There is a 2.5 percent fee added when paying with a credit/debit card.

Residents now also have the option of paying online at PayYourPropertyTAx.com, Pettis said.

“This is just one more way we’re trying to make things more convenient for our residents,” Pettis said. “It also helps alleviate the workload for our offices and cuts down on wait time.”

Tax Assessor Thad Moore Jr. said the increase in assessed values is attributed to the increase in parcel numbers. He said a number of abatements throughout the county expired, which added the properties’ assessed values back to the total owed to the county.