No big jump in county tax bills this year

While few taxpayers cheerfully pay what they owe to keep government running, there is less cause for grumbling in Cape Girardeau County this year.

After having to pay $6 million more in taxes last year, county residents this year will only have to come up with a little more than $300,000 by the time the deadline for paying taxes rolls around Dec. 31. County tax bills are arriving in mailboxes right now.

One reason for last year's jump in county taxes was reassessment and some major increases in school levies. This year, there was no countywide reassessment. And even though half of the county's 32 taxing entities approved small levy increases, the total taxes owed is holding fairly level.

Most of the dollars collected on the county tax bills goes to school districts, which take 74 percent of the $37.3 million being billed this year. The rest of the revenue is split among cities, road districts, the county health department, the sheltered workshop and fire districts.

As usual, taxpayers have until the end of the year to pay their bills from the county collector. But after Dec. 31, the tax bills will grow larger as penalties are assessed. This year, that penalty goes up a bit. So it make sense to pay on time.