Ventura County Treasurer-Tax Collector Lawrence L. Matheney announced that the Secured Property Tax Bills for the 2008/09 tax year are being mailed October 2, 2008. If you have not received your Fiscal Year 2008/09 property tax bill by October 10, please either telephone his office at (805) 654-3744, or send an Email request for a duplicate bill to HelpingHand@ventura.org.

A total of 244,075 Secured Property Tax Bills have been issued for 2008/09, representing a total secured tax roll of $1.2 billion, an all-time high. We have already received electronic payments, via phone and internet, on 426 bills, totaling $75,496.10.

The FIRST INSTALLMENT of the Fiscal Year 2008/09 secured property tax can be paid without penalty through December 10, 2008. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to Noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., Monday through Friday. There will be a payment drop box until MIDNIGHT on December 10, 2008. The drop box will be located near the pay phone at the East entrance of the Hall of Administration at the County Government Center, 800 South Victoria Avenue, Ventura, California, 93009.

Property taxes can be paid over the Internet using a credit card or electronic check. A convenience fee is charged by the payment processing company. The website is available through www.venturapropertytax.org/. Mailing a check with the payment stub remains as an efficient way to pay your taxes. Payments postmarked on or before December 10, 2008, will be considered on time. Because timeliness of mailed payments is measured by the U.S. Postal Service cancellation mark, if you must wait until December 9 or 10, 2008, it is recommended that you take your payment into the Post Office and have it postmarked in your presence. State law requires that a 10% penalty be collected for all late payments.