COBB COUNTY - If they have not already, Cobb property owners should be receiving their tax bills any day now.

Cobb Tax Commissioner Gail Downing and her staff have sent out 256,872 bills for 2009 taxes, totaling $685,097,470.12 in payments due. Most of the bills, 230,000, are for residential properties.

The major difference homeowners will see this year is the absence of the Governor's Tax Credit. For about 10 years, the state has authorized counties to give homeowners a credit on their property taxes, and the state has reimbursed the counties for that amount, Downing said. But with the declining economy hammering the state's budget, the legislature did not provide funding for the program for 2009, so homeowners across the state will see their tax bills rise from $77 to $228, depending on other exemptions and whether the property is inside city limits.

"Unfortunately, there's nothing my office can do about it," Downing said. "That's why we put a note in the bills to people who had the credit previously. I have no authority to restore that credit. I am not involved in any way in the state budget process."

The first bills went out on Thursday, though the majority went in the mail on Friday. Payments must be postmarked by Oct. 15.

"On Monday, we had more than 700 phone calls. Before the bills hit the street, our average was about 60 calls (a day). We gear up for that. We have a lot of folks answering the phones," Downing said.

The total amount due countywide is up about 3 percent from 2008, when collections totaled $664 million.

To date the office has collected about 98 percent of all 2008 taxes due, though 22,138 late notices were sent out last November, Downing said.

The Cobb Tax Commissioner's office handles collections for the county, Cobb County Schools, and the Cumberland and Town Center Community Improvement Districts, as well as the city of Acworth.

The other five cities in Cobb handle their own billing and collecting, and the Marietta City School District's billing and collection is handled by the city of Marietta.

Bills to residents of unincorporated Cobb include state, county, school and fire taxes.

Although homeowners do not have the governor's credit this year, all other exemptions, including the homestead exemption are valid, Downing said. Homeowners must file by April 1 of each year for the homestead exemption. The basic homestead exemption was worth $257.70 in 2008.

"Every other exemption remained intact this year, and (owners) should absolutely still file for them. You have to file by April 1 to have the exemption that year, but you can file now and it would take effect next year," Downing said.

Tax payments can be made:

n in person - at the Tax Commissioner's office, 736 Whitlock Ave., Suite 100, and at the East and South Cobb Government Centers;

n by mail - make checks out to and mail to Cobb County Tax Commissioner, Box 100127, Marietta, 30061-7027.

n by phone until Oct. 15, using either an e-check or a credit card, at 1-866-PAYCOBB (1-866-729-2622);

n Online, with an e-check or credit card, until Oct. 15 at www.cobbtax.org.

E-check transactions are free. For credit card transactions, the processor charges a fee of 2.49 percent.

The tax office at 736 Whitlock Avenue in Marietta will be open an extra hour, until 6 p.m., every Tuesday through Oct. 13. Payments made after Oct. 15 will incur a five percent penalty plus one percent interest monthly.

"If (property owners) are going to drop it in the mail at the last minute, they need to make sure it is postmarked by Oct. 15. If it is postmarked Oct. 16, it will incur a penalty and late charges. So my message is: Please don't wait until the very last day, and if you do, make sure you get it in the mail before the pickup. Or they can put it in our drop box here," Downing said, referring to her office at 736 Whitlock Ave.