More than 57,000 property tax bills will be sent Friday to Columbia County property owners.

All the bills will contain increases due to the elimination of a state tax relief grant and some area residents also should expect to pay even more.

In all, the county Tax Commissioner’s Office expects to collect more than $101 million in tax revenues by the Jan. 15 payment deadline.

How much you owe

Grovetown residents will pay more in taxes than other county homeowners.

The city council last month approved raising taxes from 5.64 mills to 7 mills. As a result, the taxes owed on a $100,000 home in Grovetown will be $1,290.48, according to data from the Tax Commissioner’s Office.

The owner of a $100,000 home in Harlem will pay $1,224.48 in taxes. Those living in the unincorporated areas of the county will pay $1,079.08 on a $100,000 home.

Everybody pays

Though Grovetown residents are the only ones to receive a millage-rate increase, all homeowners will pay more in taxes.

Gov. Sonny Perdue this year eliminated the Homestead Tax Relief Grant, which had used state funds to relieve property owners of some of their tax burden.

Without the grant, Columbia County homeowners will pay about $200 more in taxes this year.

Getting ahead

Though the tax deadline is Jan. 15, county tax officials are urging homeowners to submit payments by the end of the year. Unless property taxes are paid by Dec. 31, homeowners will not be able to claim the payments on their income taxes next year.

Those who do not pay their taxes by the January deadline are assessed a 1 percent penalty per month for the first 90 days. After that, delinquent homeowners will pay an additional 10 percent penalty.

Getting Behind

Tax bills typically are sent in August, but the passage of House Bill 233 by the state Legislature earlier this year delayed the mailings.

The legislation placed a three-year moratorium on raising the assessed value on homes. However, the law did not freeze the value of properties that decrease. Properties sold during the moratorium period are taxed at their moratorium value unless improvements are made.

As a result of HB 233, the Tax Assessor’s Office had to revise its computer software to account for the changes and was unable to send out property assessment notices in May, which is when those notices usually are ready. Those notices were sent in August.

Paying up

Payments on property tax bills can be made online with a major credit card at www.columbiacountyga.gov/taxcommisioner, or by calling (866) 381-4893 .

Those wishing to pay by check or money order can use drop-off boxes on the campus of the Evans Government Center at 630 Ronald Reagan Drive.

Reach Donnie Fetter at (706) 863-6165 or donnie.fetter@augustachronicle.com