Real estate and personal property tax bills in Charlotte County are expected to hit the mail next week, according to Charlotte County Treasurer Patricia Berkeley.

“I don’t have a mail date, unfortunately,” she said during Tuesday’s meeting of the Charlotte County Board of Supervisors. However, “my main concern is because they will not be mailed until next week, I do know that … I don’t know if they’re going to get them by the end of next week or whether they’ll get them the following week …,” Berkeley said.

She said she hopes to have the files sent to the printers by Wednesday.

“Again, they’re going to need three to four days,” she said.

Berkeley said her staff has been working hard since Dec. 5 to get the issues sorted out.

She said in May, the tax bills system was updated. Berkeley said the county has been using the same company, RDA systems, since 1994.

“We are working hard,” she said. “This is the most challenging system I’ve ever worked with in all the computer systems I’ve dealt with.”

Berkeley said that as a courtesy to the citizens, all statements would be mailed this time regardless of balance.

During Tuesday’s meeting, she said, “I’m encouraging anybody who needs to pay it because they itemize on their income taxes (to) call our office. We’ll give you the figures. Send us the money, you will get a receipt …”

Berkeley said personal property taxes are reassessed each fall, while real estate taxes should be the same unless a change has been made.

With the original due date being Dec. 5, Berkeley said an extension of up to 90 days was allowed.

According to the county’s website, county taxes are billed twice each fiscal year. Taxes are typically due Dec. 5 for the first half of the fiscal year and June 5 for the remainder of the year.

Real estate and personal property taxes are currently due Jan. 19.

“I appreciate all of the citizens being patient and understanding. We’re doing all we can do to get these bills out,” Berkeley said. “We’re rushing, we’re trying, but we also want accuracy.”

Presently, Charlotte County is the only locality using the current updated system.

“The financial piece of this software works fine,” Berkeley said previously. “A lot of school divisions use RDA systems for their financials. The financial piece of it is OK; it’s always been the tax side.”

The company has been working on the program for two years, she said previously.