VIDALIA — It won’t be long before property taxes are due in Concordia Parish, and where Vidalia residents pay their taxes has changed.

Vidalia residents will pay their property taxes at the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office — which is also the parish tax collection office — this year.

“Residents will be getting an invoice from the sheriff’s office that has both the parish and city taxes listed on it,” Jennie Tarver with the sheriff’s office said.

The decision to have the city’s property taxes collected at the sheriff’s office instead of by the tax clerks at City Hall was reached by a joint agreement between the sheriff’s office and the city.

That decision was made to help streamline the tax collection process, Vidalia Mayor Hyram Copeland said.

“The city would send out a tax bill and the parish would send out a tax bill, and it would be confusing to the taxpayer,” Copeland said. “When they paid one, they would think they had paid (all) their taxes.”

The agreement will cost the city approximately $6,000, which is comparable to the personnel costs the city had to pay when they were doing separate tax collections, Copeland said.

An envelope will be included in the invoice mailing for parish and Vidalia taxes so the tax payment can be made by mail.

Taxes can also be paid in person, and payment can be made by cash, check, money order or cashier’s check.

Residents of Ferriday will continue to pay their taxes at City Hall, Ferriday Tax Clerk Phyllis Stephens said.

The notices for Ferriday taxes will be sent out near Thanksgiving, Stephens said.

Ferriday taxes can also be paid by mail or in person.

All taxes are due by Dec. 31.