NORWAY — Residents are reminded that the first half of their property taxes is due Nov. 18; the second half on May 18, 2010.

“A couple of people say they just heard about this, and there’s concern that others won’t know,” Selectman Irene Millett told board members Thursday night.

Town Manager David Holt said the due date is approved by annual town meeting voters.

“This year, like last year, the date was moved two weeks earlier in the year,” he Holt. “This creates a difficulty for all of us who save throughout the year to pay our taxes on a given date and have programmed ourselves to remember the old date. It is especially difficult for the large number of people who pay their taxes with their mortgage.”

Holt said the difficulty is also felt by the town’s assessor, who fields many of the complaints about the new date but who played no role in changing it.

Holt explained that the recommendation was made by the auditor because the fiscal year begins July 1 and when the due date was in mid-December, nearly half the year was gone before property taxes started coming in.

“As Norway has spent its surplus and savings on infrastructure projects in recent years, the town has been forced to borrow in anticipation of taxes,” Holt said.

There is good news however, he said.

“The tax rate has remained stable and did not change this year. There is currently no plan to move the property tax due date again in the foreseeable future. Unless residents vote to change the property tax or excise tax laws, borrowing in anticipation of taxes should be avoided in the years ahead,” he said.

Those who might be forced to pay their taxes two weeks late — for example, in November and June on an annual bill of $2,000 this year — will pay approximately a $3 late fee each time and not get their name in the town report, Holt said.

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