Property Taxes Due Soon - KATV - Breaking News, Weather and Razorback Sports

For the second year in a row, taxpayers in Pulaski County will have five extra days to pay property taxes.

Your property tax used to be due on October 10th.but the legislature enacted a statewide deadline of the 15th…which is now just one week away.

How have collections been going in the state's most populous county?

As we enter the homestretch, 70 percent of the property taxes owed have already been collected.

But that still leaves a hefty outstanding balance with only a week to go.

Drop boxes in the parking lot, drop boxes just inside and just outside the county administration building, substations throughout the city with extended hours.

The Pulaski County Treasurer is trying to make it easy for you to pay if you owe property taxes.

"We've still got $125 million dollars out there to collect," says Bentley Hovis, Chief Deputy Treasurer.  "We will probably collect well over 96, 97 percent of that before we get to the Monday deadline."

$125 million sounds like a lot of money, but Hovis and the rest of the Pulaski County Treasurer's office is not sweating it.  Over $32 million was collected last week…and that number will more than triple this week as taxpayers typically hold onto their money as long as possible and then pay at the last minute.

The money is used to fund things that are likely important to you.

‘The vast majority of it…75 percent or better…goes to our public school systems," says Hovis.  "Which is…they desperately need the money.  And then to the county general…roads and bridges."

Those Pulaski County substations can be found at Indian Hills, at the State Police headquarters off Interstate 30 and Geyer Springs and off Rodney Parham at Reservoir.

But as long as your payment is post-marked by October 15th, you will not pay a penalty.

Air date:  October 10^th, 2012