Cody Vavra, Union County's assessor and tax collector, combs through the tax rate codes Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, in his office in La Grande.

LA GRANDE — For Union County Assessor and Tax Collector Cody Vavra it is the quiet before the storm.

Vavra’s office recently mailed out about 16,000 2023 tax bills to Union County property owners. His staff knows that within days his office will be flooded with phone calls and emails from people with questions about their tax bills and options for paying them.

“Our office will be buzzing,” he said.

Vavra knows firsthand what the next few days will be like — he has been Union County’s tax assessor since 2017. He also knows that he will be fielding new questions this year — how to pay property taxes online.

The Union County Assessor’s Office has a new virtual option that allows payments to be made through the county’s website, www.union-county.org. Taxpayers no longer have to mail payments in or deliver them in person.

“We wanted to make it easier for people to pay their taxes, to provide them with more options,” Vavra said.

Upgrades to the website of the Union County Assessor’s Office are also making it possible for property owners to get information they need to complete their tax payment forms. Property owners now can easily get information on the history of their payments and how the assessed value of their property has changed since they purchased it.

Everyone who owns property in Union County must pay taxes on it even if they do not receive a bill in the mail from the assessor’s office. Vavra said there are times when bills are not received by property owners because they are lost in the mail.

“It is definitely the responsibility of property owners to make sure their taxes are paid,” he said.

Property tax bills were mailed out on Friday, Oct. 20. Vavra said anyone who has not received a bill by the end of the week should go online to get their bill statement, contact the assessor’s office to have the bill resent or pick it up in person at the assessor’s office.

Extra time

People again have the option of paying their taxes in one lump sum or in three equal installments.

The due dates are: Nov. 15 for the lump sum or the first one-third payment; Feb. 15 for the second one-third payment and May 15 for the final one-third payment. Tax bills of less than $40 can’t be paid in installments.

Individuals who file taxes late are charged 1.33% interest per month. This interest charge takes effect on Dec. 16. Previously it took effect on Nov. 16 but this was changed by a bill passed by the Oregon Legislature earlier this year. This year’s timeline is providing taxpayers with new breathing room because of the extra month. The bill received strong support from county assessors and tax collectors across the state.

“We wanted to give taxpayers extra time to get their paperwork in order,” Vavra said.

Discounts will again be provided to property owners who meet payment deadlines. Individuals who pay the full amount of their tax by Nov. 15 get a 3% discount. If they pay two-thirds of the tax by Dec. 15 they get a 2% discount. Vavra noted that to get a discount on their current year’s tax bill, all delinquent taxes, penalty and interest must first be paid in full.

Vavra said that about half of Union County’s property tax payers make full lump sum payments.

He said Union County residents are excellent about paying their property taxes.

“Generally about 99% of our taxes are collected by the end of June,” Vavra said.

The property taxes of most Union County residents will increase about 3% because of Measure 50, which Oregon voters approved in 1997, Vavra said. The measure limits how much assessed value of property can be increased.

The total number of tax statements sent out for homes is up as many as 50 from a year ago. This reflects the total number of new homes built in Union County. Vavra said the new home construction total is about average for Union County.

This story has been updated to reflect the correct date taxes must be paid to receive a discount.