County anticipates getting $89 million

Columbia County property owners face a 5 p.m. Thursday deadline to pay their taxes.

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Tax payments for all real estate property must be received by the Tax Commissioner's Office by the deadline to avoid late payment penalties.

Diana Hamilton, a financial manager in the tax office, said that as of her latest count, more than half of the tax payments had been received. More than 53,000 tax bills were sent out to property owners in August.

"These last two weeks before the deadline are really our busiest, and we've seen a lot of traffic come in the office," Hamilton said.

The office anticipates a little more than $89 million in state, county, city and school taxes will be collected, Hamilton said. That is about $12 million more than last year.

Property taxes can be paid in person at the office on the second floor of Building C at the Columbia County Government Center on Ronald Reagan Drive in Evans, or at the Appling office across Appling-Harlem Road from the old courthouse.

Tax drop boxes are at the government center.

Taxpayers can pay their bills online at the county Web site, www.columbiacountyga.gov, or by phone at (866) 381-4893.

Taxes paid electronically are subject to service fees.