County revenue commissioner’s office gets new software

DOUBLE SPRINGS    -  Winston County residents are being advised that beginning Oct. 1, a new software program will be online for the revenue commissioner’s office, meaning more accessible ways to find out information on properties and for paying property taxes.
The first new system in over 20 years, means that customers will now have much better accessibility regarding property taxes, collections, calculations and mapping, according to Revenue Commissioner Sandra Wright.
“For the first time in 20 years, we also have a new mapping system,” Wright pointed out.
The company installing the new software program for the office is Assurance, with KCS being the new mapping company, she noted.
Although the system is already being accessed, so residents can see their property values, they will not be able to make payments until Oct. 1, according to Wright.
“The major changes for the people will be the fact that they can see (online) more of their information, without having to come into the office,” Wright stated.
“They can look at their property record card. They can look at their map,” she added.
Customers can begin accessing their new web payments at the following site: winstonproperty.assurancegov.com. The new online mapping address is isv.kcsgis.com/al.winston_revenue/.
When a customer accesses the web payment address site, they can type in their name (those who own property in Winston County) and find our much more in-depth information than what could previously be accessed, Wright illustrated.
Customers are being mailed this week, a card  telling them the amount of taxes due, as well as website address for those wishing to pay online, personal identification numbers or account numbers, and that all property taxes will be due beginning Oct. 1, but will be delinquent after Dec. 31, Wright pointed out.
Once accessing the online site given above, customers can find or their pin number as well as parcel numbers, which must be accessed in order to make an online payment, she explained.
Customers can access their particular parcel(s) by number or by name and address.
“It will bring it up, and it will bring up the parcel number, pin number, what (the property) actually is,” said Wright.
The site also will describe the type of structure on that property, such as whether it’s wood, brick and mortar, etc. as well as what the structure features, as far as air conditioning, etc., Wright explained.  
“When you pull it up, you can actually see a copy of the map, to know that this is your property,” Wright said.
“Before, you wouldn’t see that and not even a big description, on the other system, to pay it. It was just the amount of taxes, the name, the parcel number or the account number...When you pulled it up, it didn’t have any kind of information with it,” Wright continued.
Those wishing to pay online can click the appropriate tab, but customers can still make their payments by coming to the revenue commissioner’s office, located in the courthouse annex building across from the county courthouse in Double Springs, officials said.
When customers access the mapping online address, they need to provide their parcel number or name, in order to view a more detailed map of the property that what was previously available, Wright said.
“It just a little bit more in-depth details, than what it was before,” Wright noted. “The difference is they are able to access all the information, in order to make sure that’s the right property they are paying, first of all, and what is on that property.”
If the property, for example, shows a mobile home on the property that is no longer there, that is a sign that the property owner needs to contact the revenue commissioner’s office at 205-489-5166 and make sure that all of their changes in property are updated and recorded, Wright stated.
Another example is, if the property shows a house that burned or was torn down and is no longer on the property, the revenue commissioner’s office should be contacted, Wright emphasized.
“Make sure that we’ve got in right, according to what they’ve got,” Wright noted.
Also, on the former mapping sites, the revenue commissioner’s office charged a subscription site for GIS or mapping information, but the new system will mean that customers will no longer be charged that subscription rate.
“It will be free information,” noted Wright, “without having to pay for it.”