Comanche County property taxes to be mailed today

Comanche County residents should know by week’s end how much property taxes they owe.

The Comanche County Treasurer’s and Assessor’s offices have been working for weeks to put the details together for property owners. Monday, the evidence of their work could be seen in boxes stacked on tables and on the floor around the Treasurer’s Office, holding thousands of envelopes waiting to be post-marked so they can be mailed today.

The final tally: 53,292 printed tax statements for 2023, including 14,195 for mortgage companies and 39,097 individual statements statements. Comanche County Treasurer Rhonda Brantley said that is a decrease from 2022, when her office printed 53,596 statements, 39,075 individual statements and 14,521 to mortgage companies.

But, while the total number of statements mailed out is down (due mostly to more county property owners claiming veteran exempt status), total revenue being generated reflects increased property values, Brantley said. Translation: While there are fewer statements going out, there is $7.41 million more in revenue being generated for the entities that receive ad valorem taxes: $4,534,250 more for schools (which get 75.88 percent of the total, or $69,570,099); $1,926,521 more for the City of Lawton (11.33 percent, or $10,387,839); $757,868 more for the county (10.23 percent, or $9,379,311); and $189,652 more for the health department (2.56 percent, or $2,347,120).

For property owners, the work by county employees means they will be receiving their bills for taxes. Dec. 31 is the deadline for full payment, or one-half of the taxes, to avoid a penalty. Those paying one-half of their bill must pay the remainder by March 31, 2024; statements will be sent to those property owners March 1, Brantley said.

The Treasurer’s Office now is accepting credit and debit cards in the office, which is located on the third floor of the Comanche County Courthouse at Southwest 5th and C. Bills also may paid by card online at oktaxrolls.com. Card payments made online or in the office will have a 2.95 percent convenience fee. VISA debit cards have a flat fee of $3.95.

Bills may be paid in person at the office during normal business hours: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. However, the office will be closed between now and the end of the year for holidays: Nov. 23-24 for Thanksgiving, Dec. 25-26 for Christmas, and Jan. 1 for New Year’s Day.

Additional information is available by calling the treasurer’s office at 355-5763. Residents calling for information must provide their tax roll item number, located in the top right hand corner of the statement.