Nearly $1.5 million in outstanding property taxes are on the books at the Covington County Revenue Commissioner’s office, officials said Wednesday.

Chief Revenue Clerk Dianne Thompkins said they are still going through mail from the holidays and hope a good portion of that $1.5 million will be in that mail.

Delinquent notices should ”hopefully” go out sometime next week.

For those who have not sent theirs in, a penalty is now being levied.

Thompkins said 1 percent interest and a $5 fee per parcel have been added to the bill for those who have not paid their bills.

In October, the county billed $11.2 million in annual property taxes.

By mid-December only $4.9 million had been collected.

Those who have not paid their bills by March will receive a certified letter. In April, names of those who have not paid will be published in the Star-News.

If a resident has still not paid, the property will be sold in the annual delinquent property sale in May. The date has not yet been set for the sale.

Payments in the form of checks or money orders can be mailed to Revenue Commissioner, 1 Court Square, Andalusia, AL 36420.

Residents may also pay with a credit or debit card.

Property taxes are distributed to the school systems, the county’s general fund and road and bridge fund, among other areas.

For more information, call 428-2540.