The in-person taxpayers who tend to show up at the courthouse in late February may be stuck in a very long line this year if they don’t make other plans, said Hamilton County Trustee Bill Hullander.
“People that wait until the last week or the last day to come, they may have to wait hours,” Hullander said. “I want taxpayers to know that – we don’t want people to get upset.”
Hamilton County and Chattanooga property taxes are due by the end of February, but the Chattanooga treasurer’s office is closed to the public because of the COVID-19 pandemic, while the county trustee’s office has very limited public access.
On the second floor of the Hamilton County Courthouse, where Hullander’s office is located, visitors must wear masks, stand in line 6 feet apart in the hallway, and wait to be buzzed in one at a time.
Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / An intercom system is seen outside of the Trustee’s office at the Hamilton County Courthouse on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021 in Chattanooga, Tenn.Taxpayers have already sent in nearly $200 million of the $308 million the county collects each year, but he always knows to expect the last-minute, in-person payers, Hullander said.