County tax bills go in the mail

DURHAM -- The Durham County Tax Administration Office on Friday began mailing tax bills for 2009 to county residents.

The Tax Office has contracted with SunTrust Bank to process all mailed payments, allowing the entire tax billing procedure to take place in Durham. Once taxpayers receive their tax bill, payments should be mailed to PO Box 30090, Durham, NC 27702. Taxes must be paid on or before Jan. 5 to avoid interest and collection costs.

For the convenience of taxpayers, the Tax Office offers the option to use e-Services for payment of 2009 taxes. Taxpayers can pay their 2009 tax bills by credit card or scheduling an electronic check payment. Instructions regarding how to pay by using e-services are located on the top portion of the tax bill. Taxpayers can also visit the Tax Administration Web site and follow the link for On-line Tax Payments for additional information about e-services. Residents may view their tax bills on the Tax Administration Web site, prior to receiving a mailed copy.

Residents who need to make installment payments on their 2009 real and personal property tax bill can send in payments until December.

For more information, contact Durham County's Tax Call Center at (919) 560-0300. Taxpayers may obtain tax bill information and parcel information by visiting the Tax Administration Web site and selecting the tax payments' link.

Local tax official to head NCLGBA

DURHAM -- Bertha Johnson, director of the City of Durham's Department of Budget & Management Services, has been elected president of the North Carolina Local Government Budget Association.

Johnson was elected at the association's late July Summer Budget Summit at the School of Government at UNC Chapel Hill.

Johnson will serve a one-year term with the organization, which promotes the budgeting profession through education, networking, and advocacy.

To learn more about the NCLGBA, visit www.nclgba.org.

Youth Quest receives gift

DURHAM -- Youth Quest -- a child and adolescent mental health residential treatment facility in southwest Durham -- has received $500 from the Food Lion Charitable Foundation.

Youth Quest will use the gift to continue the adequate and healthy food budget for The Quest, the only level III family-style residential treatment home in the state of North Carolina which uses a promising practice of residential treatment according to the North Carolina Practice Improvement Collaborative.

"We feel such heartfelt appreciation and relief for the Food Lion gift for 2009" said Emily K. Schofield, founder and executive director of Youth Quest, www.youthquestinc.org. "Back in November of 2006, room and board funding was cut by over half. Youth Quest has always utilized all the room and board funding provided for the maximum benefits to the youth by providing safe residential treatment homes in suburban residential neighborhoods, and an adequate food budget for the youth we serve."

Contact Mark Donovan at mdonovan@heraldsun.com or (919) 419-6655. E-mail news of interest to our readers to news@heraldsun.com.