This podcast is a visit with Brazos County tax assessor-collector Kristy Roe and WTAW's Bill Oliver.

The Brazos County tax office is busy enough for county commissioners to spend $137,000 dollars at this week's meeting to buy equipment to process checks and scan mail. Tax assessor-collector Kristy Roe says this will reduce the processing time from two or three days to 20 minutes, comparable to processing paperwork the same way they handle online transactions. Roe says the backlog has become go great that taxpayers are calling her office to ask if their checks have been cashed. Roe says the new equipment will not result in any layoffs.

And if you are among the 11,000 Brazos County property owners who take advantage of split property tax payments, the deadline for the first half is November 30 at 5 p.m. Roe says if you miss that deadline, the entire property tax bill is due by January 31, 2022. Payment options include using the mail, as long as the postmark is November 30 or before. Other options include online payments and using the drop boxes outside the tax office building.