Peoria County Treasurer Branden Martin announced on April 24 that annual real estate tax bills will be mailed to homeowners and commercial property owners starting May 1. The first installment is due June 9, and the second installment is due September 9.
The announcement matters because timely payment of these taxes supports local services, including public schools across Peoria County. Taxpayers are encouraged to pay online or on time, as late payments may result in penalties. Bills can be viewed through the county’s Property Tax system at http://propertytax.peoriacounty.org. Martin said, “Remember that installments must be paid in full. Partial payments are not accepted and will be returned for proper payment.”
In-person payments can be made at the Peoria County Courthouse during regular business hours or at participating banks with the provided coupon. Payments sent by mail must be postmarked by the due date to avoid penalty charges, and taxpayers should include their parcel number on checks for proper credit. Credit card or electronic check payments are available over the phone with a convenience fee; an additional $0.95 service fee applies to phone transactions.
Online payment options allow property owners to register for a secure account and use features such as paperless billing, AutoPay, Pay by Text, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, PayPal, and automated phone payments any time of day.
Questions about tax payments should go to the Treasurer’s office at (309) 672-6065 (option 5). For address changes or exemptions contact the Supervisor of Assessments Office; garbage fee questions go to City Finance.
Public school funding relies partly on these taxes. In Peoria County during the 2022-23 school year there were an average of fifteen students per teacher among more than twenty-seven thousand students and nearly two thousand faculty members according to state data. Teacher absenteeism was recorded at just over thirty-two percent in Peoria County schools compared with a statewide average of thirty-five percent according to state data.
Enrollment figures from last year show Dunlap High School had the highest number of white students (873), Richwoods High School had most multiracial students (182), Lincoln School led in Hispanic enrollment (218), while Peoria High School enrolled most Black students (798) according to state data.
Looking ahead, residents are reminded that staying current with property taxes helps maintain essential services such as education throughout Peoria County.
