Anyone who owns property in Butler County should have already received a property tax bill, which comes due Dec. 31. There are no exceptions. Penalties start accruing Jan. 1.
But have you ever wondered how your property tax rate stacks up against your neighbors?
More than $24.4 million in property taxes have been assessed for Butler County landowners for 2017, said county collector Emily Parks, who mailed bills at the beginning of November.
That money will educate children, feed seniors, maintain equipment for fire departments and keep city and county governments operational through 17 taxing districts.
Yet, nearly 90 percent will go to just five entities, Poplar Bluff, Twin Rivers and Neelyville school districts, Three Rivers College and the county fire department, according to figures from the collector's office.
The Poplar Bluff district has the highest rate among the school districts that draw taxes from Butler County. It collects just over $16.5 million. This tax is paid by only a portion of the county's residents.
Everyone is paying taxes to operate the Butler County courthouse and maintain county roads, but this makes up less than 3 percent of all collections. These two entities will receive a combined $708,000 in property taxes for 2017.
The lowest school district rates, meanwhile, are paid by landowners on the western edge of Butler County.
Small chunks of Doniphan and East Carter districts cross the county boundaries here. They carry a rate of the state minimum, $2.75 per $100 of assessed valuation. These districts receive less than 1 percent of all Butler County property tax dollars because the majority of their collections come from their home counties, Ripley and Carter, respectively.
The same is true of other districts that briefly cross the border, Greenville and Naylor. A complete list of property tax rates set for 2017 can be found at the end of this article.
Residents of Poplar Bluff School District have a rate of $3.45 per $100 of assessed valuation. The district also has an additional temporary debt service levy.
Poplar Bluff schools receive nearly 68 percent of all property tax dollars collected within Butler County. That amount accounts for 100 percent of all property taxes assessed for the district. Most taxing districts budget for less than the full amount owed, because some bills will not get paid by the deadline.
The Poplar Bluff district has more than 5,000 children enrolled with a staff of more than 700 people, making it the third largest employer in the county.
Cities also will collect property taxes separate from the $24.4 million that goes to county taxing districts.
The lowest city rate is found in Qulin, a savings of almost 6 percent over the next lowest rate, the city of Poplar Bluff.
The highest city rate is found in Fisk, where property taxes are about one-third higher than Qulin. Fisk has a population of under 350 and Qulin of around 450, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates for 2016.
Property tax basics
All property tax rates were approved by taxing entities in August and filed with the state auditor's office.
Rates are paid per $100 of assessed valuation.
For a property valued at $100,000, the assessed valuation would be $1,000.
Tax rates can fluctuate by small margins from year to year based on the total assessed valuation of all of the property within each taxing entity's boundaries.
If this assessed valuation drops, the district can raise taxes to ensure it receives the same amount of money from year to year. If assessed valuation increases, they can lower the rate to maintain stable funding.
Everyone pays:
* County
.0934 cents, general revenue (operates the courthouse and pays for other expenses)
.0305 cents, road and bridge (county highways, including 850 miles of gravel road)
.0961 cents, Senate Bill 40 (sheltered workshop)
.0478 cents, senior services (includes nutrition centers)
* College
.2352 cents, Three Rivers College general revenue
* Health
.0961 cents, Butler County Health Department
* ONE of the following school districts:
Poplar Bluff, operating $3.4501 and debt service .1681 cents (temporary)
Naylor, operating $3.3837
Twin Rivers, operating $3.0279
Neelyville, operating $2.9617
Greenville, operating $2.75 and debt .36 cents
East Carter, operating $2.75
Doniphan, operating $2.75
Some pay:
* ONE city:
Neelyville, operating .6593 cents
Qulin, operating .5813 cents
Poplar Bluff, operating .5172 cents and police and fire pension .0976 cents
Fisk, operating .7769 cents
* Other limited-area taxing districts:
Naylor-Neelyville Ambulance District
.2977 cents
Qulin Community Fire Protection District
.1578 cents
Butler County Fire Protection District
.2396 cents