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Deadline for taxes moved up
County wants to know what it has
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Forsyth County News

Property taxes are due a month earlier again this year, thanks to a recent vote by the Forsyth County commission.

As in the past few years, when Commissioner David Richard said the board pushed back the date, taxes will be due on Nov. 15 this year.

The move, Richard said, "allows the due date to be earlier so that we get all the tax money in before the end of the year."

"And," he said, "it allows us to have, in essence, a balanced book going into that next year so we know exactly what we have for revenues."

Had the board not made the change last week, taxes would have been due Dec. 20.

The decision comes as the commission is wrestling with a fiscal year 2008 budget deficit that has grown to $9.57 million.

Commissioners have blamed the shortfall on a sluggish economy and a lack of development.

Earlier this week, the county extended its hiring freeze for the foreseeable future, though departments led by elected officials will be able to bring on new employees.

In order to do so, however, commissioners have said those departments must somehow make up the difference they would have saved on unfilled positions.

The commission also has directed County Attorney Ken Jarrard to draft a resolution that would trim the budgets of all county departments, as well as use identified savings from vacancies.

The Sept. 4 vote on the tax due date was 4-1 in favor, with Commissioner Linda Ledbetter voting against it.

According to a release from the county government, tax bills are being mailed out this week.

And because the actual due date falls on a Saturday, property owners will have until the end of business on Nov. 17 to pay without penalty.