The Gazette-Enterprise

SEGUIN — Be sure to check the mail today.

Guadalupe County Tax Assessor-Collector Tavie Murphy’s office has processed tax statements to nearly 78,000 county taxpayers — and they’ll begin hitting mailboxes this morning.

“We’ve finished printing them, and we’re almost finished stuffing them,” Murphy said Wednesday afternoon as she and Elizabeth Guerrero began piling postal trays full of the notices for the trip over to the Seguin Post Office. “We have to get all of those statements to the post office because we’ve got them all postmarked, and we’d just like to get the word out that they’ll start arriving on Thursday.”

Oct. 1 is the target date each year for mailing tax notices for the 22 taxing entities in this county that are served by the county tax office.

“We collect for everyone in the county,” Murphy said. “The tax rates are set by mid-September, and we’re able to get our values and mail statements.”

This year, the preparation was aided by a decision by county commissioners to allow Murphy to expand her office into the former elections office.

“We appreciate the court finding additional space for us,” Murphy said. “With the growth of this county, our department’s growing, and the lines just get longer and longer. We really needed this room.”

Property taxes for most taxpayers are payable immediately, but are not considered late — and eligible to be assessed interest and penalties — until Jan. 31.

Two cities Murphy collects taxes for — Seguin and Selma — offer discounts for early payments. If the bill is paid in October, both cities give a 3 percent discount, Murphy said.

In November, the discount drops to 2 percent. In December, it is still possible to get a 1 percent break from both communities.

Payments can also be made over the Internet using credit or debit cards — for a small fee. Go to Murphy’s Web site, http://www.co.guadalupe.tx.us/tax_office.htm and on the lower right hand side of the page, click on “Tax Records.” Then, on the left edge of the new page, search by owner name or property number.

Be sure online or on the tax bill to check addresses, exemptions and other information to make sure it’s correct, Murphy said.

One thing the tax office cannot change is the value of taxable property, which is set by the Guadalupe Appraisal District, which is a state office and not a county office.

“If you have any questions or issues about valuation, check with the appraisal district,” Murphy said.

Seniors can pay taxes quarterly, and advance payments and escrow payments are accepted as well, Murphy said.

“We never turn down money,” Murphy said.

That’s not surprising for a tax collector, but what might be more surprising is Murphy’s policy of refusing to throw a homeowner out of a homestead in Guadalupe County — as long as the taxpayer contacts Murphy’s office.

“We understand things have been tough for many of us,” Murphy said. “I will never sell a homestead and I won’t put people out of their home and onto the street. If they’ll come in and work with me and make some kind of attempt, we’ll find a solution they can afford.”

Recently, Murphy said, her office has worked with a number of taxpayers who have lost jobs or businesses and who can’t pay their taxes on time.

“We understand that, and that’s why we feel good about working with people,” Murphy said. “It’s the only way to treat our public. For us, it’s the right thing to do.”

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