Deadline for property owners is approaching

Property holders in Columbia County have until 5 p.m. Monday to appeal their property tax assessments.

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The county's overall tax digest is anticipated to increase by about 15 percent over last year, said Debbie Robertson, the county's chief appraiser. The tax assessors office uses area real estate sales and property records to determine the value of more than 47,000 residential and commercial parcels.

"If the taxpayer is unhappy about their assessment notice or has any questions, they need to appeal, or at least call and verify the information we have in our records, to make sure we don't have any errors," Robertson said. "The safest way is to appeal."

The Board of Assessors asks that appeals include the proper owner's name, the address of the property, the reason for the appeal, whether the property owner will meet personally with an assessor and contact information.

Tax assessments can be appealed in person, by fax or via a form on the county Web site, www.columbiacountyga.gov.

The tax assessor's office is at 630 Ronald Reagan Drive, on the first floor of Building C.

Property tax bills will be mailed to property owners Aug. 13 and must be paid by Nov. 15, according to the Tax Commissioner's office.

For more information, call (706) 312-7474.