It is that time of year again.

It’s time to start thinking about your property taxes.

You should start seeing them in your mailboxes this week.

Your property tax statements for 2012 are in the mail and should be in your hands sometime this week.

Now, we all like things that are easy and free.

Well coming down here to pay property taxes isn’t easy.

Now I can’t make your taxes free, but I can make them easier to pay.

Actually, this guy can do it…Gary Barber, Tax Assessor Collector for Smith County.

He showed us around the office and pointed out improvements.

And he told us that payments can be made several ways now.

“We’ve always taken cash or checks,” Barber said. “And a few years back, we started taking credit cards and electronic checks. There was a fee for the credit cards and electronic checks. Well, there’s still a fee for the credit cards, it’s called a convenience fee.”

But if you already pay your bills electronically through your bank, you can add Smith County to the list.
“But now this year, we have the electronic checks and there’s no charge,” he said.

And only about 1/4th of property taxes are paid out of escrow by  mortgage companies.

The rest are done at the window of the tax office.

Well, now, you can do it from your desk at home, without a stamp.

Barber told us compliance here is very good.

Smith County only has about a 3% delinquency rate.