Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said today that thanks to an earlier mailing by her office and the due-date extension in observance of Casimir Pulaski Day, property owners will have at least 10 extra days in which to pay property taxes.

State law requires the Treasurer's Office to mail bills to owners of homes and other real property 30 days before the due date, which typically falls on the first of March. This year, Pappas' office accelerated the printing and mailing of bills, and the first business day in March will be Pulaski Day, which translates to a due date of March 4, 2003.

"The faster we get bills to taxpayers, the more time they have to arrange their finances and respond," Pappas said.

Pappas said payments may be submitted at any of the 120 LaSalle Bank branches across Chicagoland, over the internet at www.cookcountytreasurer.com, or at the Treasurer's Offices. Mailed payments must have a postmark no later than March 4 to be considered on time.

When mailing payments, taxpayers should submit one payment coupon and check per envelope. When paying in person, taxpayers should submit a complete tax bill. Whether mailed or presented in person, the face of each check should include:

• The taxpayer's name.
• The Property Index Number (PIN).
• The PIN property location (with unit, if needed).
• The taxpayer's phone number.
• The taxpayer's e-mail address (if available).

There are 1.6 million real estate parcels in Cook County. The Treasurer's Office collects $8.1 billion annually in two installments for approximately 1,600 taxing agencies such as municipal governments, schools, libraries, parks and public health and safety agencies across Cook County.

While first-installment bills are one-half of the prior year's total tax, second-installment bills later in the year reflect final tax rates, property-owner exemptions and the state equalization factor.