That card from the county this week is not for Christmas. It is your property tax bill.

Tax bills were mailed Friday, according to Tax Commissioner Virgil Jones. Bills were available to view, print and pay online, and at the Liberty County Tax Office since Dec 11.

Property taxes in the county are normally due at the beginning of December. Many residents prefer to pay the bill before January of the next year so it can be deducted from federal income taxes.

Jones said the delay this year was due to waiting on the millage rate to be set by the county and on approval of the tax digest by the state. Once the digest was approved, tax bills were processed through a vendor for calculating, formatting and mailing.

Jones said anyone who wants to pay or receive a copy before their tax bill arrives in the mail can call his office at 912-876-3389 or go to the website, www.libertygatax.com, to print off a copy of their statement.