Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Island County will not be extending the deadline to pay property taxes this year.

The due date for payments will remain April 30.

According to a press release, Island County Treasurer Wanda Grone has decided not to extend the deadline because of the continuing financial needs of local tax districts.

“Our districts require a constant stream of revenue in order to continue operations,” Grone said.

These operations include hospitals, schools, libraries, ports and fire departments.

As one example, Grone said, even with schools and libraries closed to the public, teachers and workers are still receiving pay.

Grone added that she has received several emails and phone calls suggesting there would be no inconvenience were the county to delay the payment deadline by two months.

Grone countered that a massive delay of property tax payments could cause these entities to not be able to make debt payments, which could result in them not being able to borrow or issue public debt in the future. This could reflect on the county and state.

“I hope people will stop and think about the services they receive, whether it’s the fire department or the county roads crew,” Grone said.

“I hope they understand if they want these services to continue, there has to be money coming in,” Grone said.

Payment plans are currently available online at the treasurer’s website, and must be set up before the April 30 deadline. Partial payments can be made over the next months.