Countywide : First Property Tax Bills to Go Into Mail Today

The county tax collector said Tuesday that he will start putting property tax bills into the mail today, continuing the tradition of keeping the county first in the state to send the forms to homeowners.

Robert L. Citron, who is county treasurer as well as tax collector, said the total consolidated property tax bill for fiscal 1987-88 will come to $1.16 billion, a $90-million increase over the last fiscal year.

In all, 650,000 individual property tax bills will be sent out, with the first installments due from homeowners by Dec. 10, Citron said. The second installments will be due next April 10.

Mailing the bills early allows taxpayers a chance to look over the forms and set aside money before the deadline, Citron said. In addition, money that comes in early can be invested to provide the county with additional interest.

Citron predicted that the county will collect $7 million in the first five business days after the bills are mailed. He said that last year the bills were delivered on Sept. 25 and that one Los Alamitos taxpayer drove to Citron’s Santa Ana office the same day to pay the bill.