In the midst of national and local economic difficulties, the Tax Collector’s office is seeing property taxes being paid at a higher rate than in the last several cycles. Heading into the week of the April 10 deadline, Ventura County property owners have paid approximately 144,000 bills of the county’s 244,054 taxable properties. Last year at this time, fewer than half the bill payments had been received.

Several possible reasons for this unexpected collection pace were offered by Treasurer-Tax Collector Larry Matheney: “We suspect that part of the higher collection rate is due to the increased number of bank-owned properties in our area. These banks want the taxes to remain current while they are reselling their properties." Matheney continued, "But it appears to go deeper than the paying habits of banks. As a group, Ventura County homeowners have so far been able to make spending adjustments at an admirable level. However, the hardships faced by our families should not be discounted for a moment. Struggling and juggling define many of our neighbors.”

The property tax revenues collected from the second installment are nearly $50 million higher than last year.

Ventura County’s total secured property tax roll for 2008/09 is $1.2 billion.

The Assessor’s staff is presently working on the values to enroll for the 2009/2010 tax roll, based on the estimated values as of January 1, 2009. The property tax bills for 2009/2010 will be mailed in October.