Tuesday, October 13th is your last day to pay your property taxes or face big penalties. That goes for all Arkansas counties. But the Pulaski County treasurer is trying to make it easier for you to get your money in before the deadline.
We caught up with Danny Macon rushing to beat the clock and pay at the counter. But this year times are tough and that makes it harder to fork over the property taxes for his home, rental property and car. "It hurts, I can feel the sting," he says. But it's better than the alternative. "Wanted to avoid penalties, they're high enough as it is. I didn't see any need to add to the cost," he said.
Pulaski County treasurer Debra Buckner says this year it's more important than ever to pay up, not just to avoid penalties but to keep the county going. She said, "this is serious business not just for us but for everyone who is a good citizen in this county."
So far, her office collected $78 million but she has $73 million to go. That money funds things like schools, the library system, and of course the county jail which is in desperate need of more space even after improvements this year. That's why her office made it easier to pay, extending hours until 6 p.m., blocking off parking for taxpayers, and installing credit card machines at the counters. But if people don't pay by midnight Tuesday their bill goes up by 10 percent of what they owe. "Folks will find themselves in that position where we don't have a choice, folks will have to pay the penalty," Buckner said. Danny Macon said he wanted to avoid that so he did what he could to prepare. "We knew it was coming so we tried to budget for it," he said.
After midnight Tuesday the offices will be closed for 3 days so tax officials can catch up on all this work.
Find out how much you owe and learn about ways to pay
