Consider it a Valentine’s Day gift: Tax bills will be mailed by month’s end

San Juan County’s property tax bills will be mailed about two weeks later than usual this year as a result of delays caused by a changeover to a new computer software system.

San Juan County’s property tax bills will be mailed about two weeks later than usual this year as a result of delays caused by a changeover to a new computer software system.

Treasurer Jan Sears said today that 2010 tax bill information for individual properties will be available in the treasurer’s section of the county Web site by Feb. 19; however, it will take another week to 10 days to print, stuff and mail the approximately 18,000 tax bills.

Historically, property tax bills have been sent out around Feb. 14.

The new software, created by the Texas-based software company True Automation, was purchased by several Washington counties – including San Juan County – to replace an obsolete system after its vendor announced it would no longer provide support. The transition to the new software began early last year; however, adapting the system to Washington’s tax system has taken the vendor longer than expected.

Sears said property owners will still receive their tax bills several weeks before property tax payments are due on April 30.