Butler County residents can start looking for property tax bills in their mailboxes beginning next week.

County Treasurer Nancy Nix said $466 million in statements, of which 4.6 percent are past due amounts, will be mail Thursday. The due date is Feb. 28. She said it takes about a week for residents to received the statements.

A total of 144,876 real estate statements and 3,755 in manufactured home bills are included in the first half mailing.

First half bills are sent to all property owners, including parcels with zero due, according to Nix.

“The bills provide information about their real estate valuation and how their tax money is distributed,” Nix said.

Valuations can be contested with the Board of Revision through the county auditor’s office by March 31.

The bill cost about 37 cents to mail for a total of about $14,565 to print and mail real estate and manufactured home first half bills. This includes tax bill forms, data printing and handling, outgoing and return envelopes, and national change of address processing.

According to Ohio law, a late payment penalty of ½ of 10 percent will be charged against past due current year taxes, provided that the balance due is paid in full within the first ten days following the due date. Otherwise, a full 10 percent penalty will be charged.

Interest will be charged against the remaining unpaid balance for prior tax years on the first day of the month following the second half due date. Interest will be charged on the total unpaid balance on December 1.

The number of challenges to the latest appraisals filed with the Board of Revision through the Butler County Auditor’s Office reflects the plummets of property valuations