The 2019 ad valorem tax bills went into the mail Thursday to Kingfi sher County property owners.

County Treasurer Robin Rother announced that the 2019 ad valorem tax abstract totals $37,442,543 based on a county net assessed valuation of $468,627,410.

That is up from $33,200,584 last year, thanks primarily to oil and gas activity in the county.

Rother said taxes are due by Jan. 10 but taxpayers, who elect to do so, may pay one-half of the total due by Jan. 10 and delay paying the second half (without penalty) to March 31.

The first due date was pushed back this year after delays in receiving relevant information from adjacent counties made for later mailing of tax bills.

Some 84 percent of ad valorem tax goes to school districts. Tax not paid by the deadline draws a 1.5 percent penalty per month. Tax going to school districts include: Okarche –$5,052,036. Hennessey –$6,119,918. Kingfisher – $9,866,217. Cashion – $6,152,185. Dover – $5,931,649. Lomega – $3,516,468. Crescent – $427,151 Okeene – $109,227. Drummond – $5,610. Cimarron – $4,730. Marshal-Covington – $219,945 Piedmont – $37,357. Cashion, Okarche, Lomega and Hennessey all extend into adjoining counties and receive additional tax support from those counties, also.

While dollar amounts were up for all county school districts this year, tax rates (the basis on which taxes per $1,000 net assessed valuation are computed) were up and down in 2019. Comparisons by school district follow with the 2019 rate listed fi rst: Dover – $78.55 and $76.82, up $1.73. Lomega – $75.76. and $76.51, down $0.75 Okarche – $76.60 and $80.71, down $4.11. Hennessey – $73.12 and $69.10, up $4.02. Kingfisher – $83.85 and $83.75, up $0.10. Cashion – $86.02 and $87.76, down $1.74.