Bradley County Trustee Mike Smith

CLEVELAND, Tenn. - For Bradley County property owners who want to pay their property taxes in monthly installments in 2012, now is the time to sign up, County Trustee Mike Smith said.

Enrollment is open through Dec. 16. An additional enrollment period will be from Jan. 3 through Feb. 10, Smith said.

The first monthly payment will be due March 15.

With approval by the Tennessee Comptroller's Office and the Bradley County Commission, installment tax payments began with 2011.

"The 12-month payment plan has become an extremely popular program," Smith said. "The number of parcels included in this plan the first year exceeded expectations, and we are confident that number will increase."

Bradley County had 204 parcels on the 12-month program in 2011.

The decision on how much monthly payments should be is up to the taxpayer.

Smith said Wednesday his office will advise enrollees about their monthly payment, based on the current tax rate. But taxpayers can decide their own monthly payment. At the end of the tax year, they can make a catch-up payment to cover what is left.

The trustee's office has a partial payment program for current and delinquent real and personal taxes, also.

For more information, call the trustee's office at 423-728-7247.