Peoria County Treasurer Nicole Bjerke asks homeowners and commercial property owners to watch their mailboxes, as annual real estate tax bills are being mailed this week. The first installment due date is June 7, and the second installment due date is September 7.
Of note this year, the City of Peoria Treasurer’s Office, also known as the City of Peoria Township Collector, located within Peoria City Hall, will no longer collect real estate taxes in person or by mail. Those Township Collector duties are being assumed by the Peoria County Treasurer’s Office through an intergovernmental agreement between the two units of government.
“Working in consultation with City Treasurer Stephen Morris, we discussed how to streamline property tax payments,” said County Treasurer Nicole Bjerke. “We saw that the amount of money collected through City Hall has been decreasing on average by about 12 percent each year for the last four years, and we both agreed that removing the City Treasurer’s Office as a payment point will improve staff efficiencies and save taxpayers’ money.”
There are no additional costs or fees incurred by the City or County Treasurer Offices from this move. The County Treasurer’s Office can handle any payments that would have been processed in City Hall with its current staffing levels.
There remains a variety of ways for property owners to pay their taxes, whether in-person, by mail, or online.
The Peoria County Treasurer’s Office, located in the Peoria County Courthouse, is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. for in-person payment. Most Peoria County banks accept real estate tax payments, too. Payments made at banks must include the coupon that is sent with the tax bill. For a full list of banks that participate, visit www.peoriacounty.gov/411.
Payments sent by mail to the Peoria County Treasurer’s Office must be postmarked on or before June 7, 2022. Residents are reminded to check the pickup times at mail receptacles to ensure an accurate postmark. Payments postmarked after June 7, 2022, will be subject to a penalty charge.
Taxpayers mailing payment should include their parcel number on the check to ensure proper credit. If a self-addressed stamped envelope is included with the payment, a receipt will be mailed back. Otherwise, residents should note that the cleared check will serve as their receipt of payment.
Credit card or electronic check payment options are also available after May 1, 2022, to taxpayers who wish to pay online or over the phone. A convenience fee for credit card payments will be charged based on the payment amount. The Peoria County Treasurer’s Office does not receive any portion of this required fee.
If a tax bill has been misplaced, lost, or never received, a duplicate bill can be printed online at http://propertytax.peoriacounty.org/ beginning May 1, 2022. Failure to receive a tax bill, or receiving it late for any reason, does not relieve the taxpayer of penalties if not paid by the due date.
Questions regarding tax payments should be directed to the Peoria County Treasurer’s Office at (309) 672-6065, option 5. Questions regarding exemptions should be directed to the Peoria County Supervisor of Assessments Office at (309) 672-6910.