The City of Hopkinsville will mail 2009 Property Tax bills to local citizens and businesses on October 1, 2009.  The tax bills are for real property, business inventory, furniture and fixtures, construction equipment, goods in storage and other tangibles.  The total assessment for all categories is $1,600,238,328 and the total tax due is 3,771,667.   In some cases, the tax bills are mailed directly to the financial institution which has the loan on the property and the bills will be paid from the property owner’s escrow account directly to the City.  

The City property tax bills will be printed on 4 x 6 postcards.  Citizens receiving tax bills may pay by mail, returning one part of the postcard tax bill with a check payable to the City of Hopkinsville.  Also, the bills may be paid in person at the Lackey Municipal Center, 101 North Main Street.  The Tax Office will be open during the hours of 8:00am until 4:30pm.  Tax bills paid during the month of October 2009 will have a 2% discount allowed.  Tax bills paid during the month of November will be the exact amount of the bill- no discount and no penalty or interest.  On December 1, 2009 all unpaid tax bills will be assessed a 10% penalty and interest accruing at ½% (one-half) per month.

Property tax bills are mailed to the individual who owned the property on January 1, 2009.  If a tax payer has sold his property since that time, he must forward the tax bill to the new property owner.  New homeowners who do not receive a 2009 Property tax bill should contact the original home owner or the city to receive a copy of the tax bill.  Because a new homeowner does not receive a property tax bill, does not mean that there is no tax due.  Even if a homeowner does not receive a tax bill, penalty and interest will be assessed if the bill is paid late. 
New City residents may not be aware that properties located in the City limits are assessed for both City and Christian County taxes.  Those individuals should anticipate two tax bills for the year 2009.  

The Homestead Exemption for the year 2009 will be $33,700.00.  Generally, Homestead Exemptions are granted to citizens 65 years old (or over), or who are disabled and who maintain their residence at the taxed property.  The Property Valuation Administrator, Ms. Angie Strader, determines who is authorized for the exemption.  For those people who qualify for the Homestead Exemption and have already filed with the Property Valuation Administrator, the assessment exemptions have been allowed prior to computing the tax bill.  In some cases, this has reduced the amount of tax to zero.  

Citizens who have questions about the property assessment on a tax bill or who may qualify for a Homestead Exemption should contact the Property Valuation Administrator, Angie Strader, 887-4115 or visit her office in the Courthouse Annex.  The City of Hopkinsville License and Revenue Office cannot change a tax bill without authorization from the Property Valuation Administration’s office.

Robert W. Martin
Chief Financial Officer, City of Hopkinsville