By Fred Guarino

The Lowndes Signal

Lowndes County property owners who were unable to pay their property taxes on Monday, Dec. 31 due to the fact the county courthouse was closed can pay them today, Thursday, Jan. 3, without penalty.

The deadline to pay property taxes is normally Dec. 31 according to Lowndes County Tax Collector Roslyn A. Smith.

Smith said the Lowndes County Commission “did not put the money in our budget this year” to allow the tax collector’s office to set up online payments.

While Smith confirmed  Wednesday that the courthouse, where the tax collector’s office is located, was closed on Dec. 31,  “We’re not charging a penalty today or tomorrow (Jan. 2-3),” she said.

She said the fact the courthouse was closed was posted before Christmas on the collector’s door, the assessor’s door and the probate office door.