Jefferson County tax bills will be in the mail starting this week.
At the bottom of those bills may be a sign of relief for homeowners who had property damage from Tropical Storm Harvey.
Tax Assessor-Collector Allison Nathan Getz says that taxpayers who sustained damage can apply for an installment plan on their taxes.
Kim Holievina says that he believes it will benefit some taxpayers.
“It's a good idea for people who didn't have flood insurance or dropped it, and the people who have saved all year for their taxes probably have it," Holievina said.
Holievina is a Port Arthur resident who sustained 18 inches of water damage to his home. Holievina says the rebuilding process after Tropical Storm Harvey is tough.
An installment plan application can be found along with one’s tax bill to set up four payments in 2018.
The first payment would be due on January 31, 2018. The following three payments would be due at the end of March, May, and July.
"It just allows you a little extra time to make those payments instead of coming up with that lump sum when people may be struggling with other things right now," Getz said.
Getz says the same plan is normally applied to people over 65-years-old or are disabled.
The plan was used after previous hurricanes struck the area, according to Getz.
Holievina believes homeowners need all the help they can get after Harvey.
"The only thing that I see it wouldn't be beneficial is the ones that plan on leaving the area, take their insurance money and move on, which is a great possibility for some people," Holievina said.
Installment plan applications can be found online and at the Jefferson County Tax Assessor-Collector Office.
