Marion County Tax Payment Deadline Delayed

INDIANAPOLIS -- Marion County homeowners will have two weeks longer than previously announced to pay this year's first property tax installment, county Treasurer Mike Rodman said Thursday.

Rodman's decision to move the year's first payment deadline from July 27 to Aug. 10 came a day after Gov. Mitch Daniels' order to throw out the county's assessments and temporarily freeze this year's bills at 2006 rates.

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Treasurer's Web Site: Learn How Much You Owe

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Rodman said people should pay what they paid last year, though certain extra charges, like the stormwater charge, also should be paid.

The treasurer said that for those who have already paid their current bill, any amount they paid over last year's installments can be credited to the November bill.

People who already paid both of this year's installments can, if they paid too much, either apply for a refund check or take a credit on next year's bill, 6News' Norman Cox reported.

The few people who saw their assessments drop this year will be expected to pay the same amount as their 2006 bill, even if that is higher.

Rodman said people can ensure they know what amount to pay this year by visiting his Web site.

Rodman's decision to move the first installment deadline required state approval, which was given Thursday afternoon.

The treasurer will send mortgage companies a letter to tell them of the tax situation. Companies should receive those letters by next Wednesday. Homeowners might have to contact their mortgage companies to ensure minimal confusion.

Republican Candidates Call For Assessor's Resignation

Republican City-County Council candidates on Thursday called for the resignation of Marion County Assessor Greg Bowes.

Republicans blame Bowes, a Democrat, for much of the failed assessment in the county. They said he should have caught the failure to properly reassess businesses.

"The buck has to stop somewhere, and in this instance, Greg Bowes, our county assessor, who ran on a platform of overseeing proper assessments, concentrating particularly on commercial property, has failed us," candidate Kurt Webber said.

Daniels cited discrepancies between residential and business assessments as one of the main reasons he threw out Marion County's assessment, saying an unfair portion of the tax burden was put on homeowners. He said the values of very few industrial and commercial properties changed, causing homeowners' tax bills to rise too high and businesses' bills to rise too little.

Bowes said he saw problems in the data on business assessments that he turned into the state, but didn't know the extent of the problem or how it would affect homeowners' tax bills.

Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson said Thursday morning that he wasn't aware of the call for Bowes' resignation.

"We face a lot of challenges, and the last thing we need is a bunch of fingerpointing right now," Peterson, a Democrat, said. "I think the news of the governor's ordering of a new assessment for Marion County