HOUSTON - June 5, 2006 - Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Paul Bettencourt announced today that his office has completed its transition to collecting property taxes for the Houston Independent School District and has begun making collections by phone, check, credit card and Internet.

      “Some 487,000 HISD taxpayers can now 'Get online instead of in line' and save themselves a lot of time by using this technology,” said Bettencourt. “For the first time ever, they can now pay their school taxes by credit card, e-Check, telephone or through our Tax Office Web site at www.hctax.net.”

      The Harris County Tax Office began collecting HISD’s property taxes on May 30, after HISD’s Board of Trustees passed a resolution asking the county to assume the district’s tax collection effort. Bettencourt and HISD officials have been working together for several weeks to ensure a smooth transition for taxpayers. That cooperation includes HISD’s providing offsite support until a budget amendment is passed for the Tax Office.

      “The successful integration of data from the largest school system in the state into the Tax Office means that former HISD Tax Office users can now take advantage of all the county’s services, including online services not previously available with HISD,” said Bettencourt. “It’s all part of our commitment to making government more efficient and less expensive for taxpayers.”

      For property tax assistance, HISD taxpayers may visit any of the six Tax Office branches located within HISD or call 713-368-2000. For online help, information is available on the Tax Office Web site at www.hctax.net 24 hours a day.

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