Tax Administration announces deadline for property taxes listed this year

The deadline to pay property taxes for real estate and personal property listed in January 2018 without penalty and interest is Jan. 7. The Cumberland County Tax Administration Office offers convenient options to pay taxes.

Taxes will be delinquent if not paid by Jan. 7. Interest and enforced collections such as bank levy, wage/rent garnishments, and/or foreclosure will begin on Jan. 8. Interest and collection fees will be added to the tax amount due.

Tax Administration urges residents to plan appropriately and consider that the last week of the year is extremely busy for the office with taxpayers seeking receipts by Dec. 31 income tax filing purposes. County offices and the courthouse will be closed Dec. 24-26 for the Christmas holiday.

To pay in person, go to Room 527 on the fifth floor of the courthouse, 117 Dick St., from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. To pay by phone, call 866-441-6614. To pay online, go to co.cumberland.nc.us/tax/payments. The address to pay taxes by mail is Cumberland County Tax Collector, P.O. Box 449, Fayetteville, N.C. 28302-0449.

The 2019 annual property tax listing period begins Jan. 1 and runs through Jan. 31. Listing forms must be updated, signed and returned and must be postmarked no later than Jan. 31 to avoid the 10 percent late listing fee.

For more information, call 910-678-7507 or go to co.cumberland.nc.us/tax.aspx.

Disaster assistance deadline

Thursday is the deadline for North Carolinians to register for Hurricane Florence disaster assistance. In Cumberland County, residents can visit the Disaster Recovery Center at the Cumberland County Department of Social Services, 1225 Ramsey St. The center is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Disaster assistance for individuals may include grants to help homeowners and renters with temporary housing, essential home repairs, personal property replacement and serious disaster-related needs. Disaster assistance grants are not taxable income and will not affect eligibility for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other federal and state programs. Grants do not have to be repaid to the federal government.

Applications can be made online at DisasterAssistance.gov or DisasterAssistance.gov/es (for Spanish) or by calling 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585 (TTY) anytime from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Apply in person at the Disaster Recovery Center in the DSS building. You also may go to FEMA.gov/DRC.

Agricultural disaster program

Farmers with damage and agricultural losses from Hurricane Florence and Tropical Storm Michael may be eligible for disaster assistance from the Hurricane Florence Agricultural Disaster Program of 2018. The $240 million bill, signed by Gov. Roy Cooper, will provide direct assistance to farmers. The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will administer the program. Go to ncagr.gov/agriculturaldisasterprogram or call the disaster assistance hotline at 866-645-9403 for more information.

Cumberland Update

• Tuesday: GenX public information session. The session is hosted by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality and Health and Human Services. It begins at 6 p.m. at the Bladen Community College Auditorium, 7418 N.C. 41 West, Dublin.

• Thursday: County holiday food drive ends. Non-perishable food items to be donated to Fayetteville Urban Ministry and Salvation Army. Donation bins are located inside the public entrances of county buildings, including the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Courthouse, the Law Enforcement Center and the Department of Social Services.

• Saturday: Animal Control volunteer and foster orientation sessions. Volunteer orientation is at 10 a.m.; foster orientation is at 2 p.m. at the Animal Control facility, 4704 Corporation Drive. Call 910-321-6852 for more information.

Jon Soles is the public information specialist for Cumberland County government. You can reach him at jsoles@co.cumberland.nc.us or 910-321-6579.