The Patrick County Board of Supervisors briefly discussed the feasibility of requiring real estate taxes to be paid by a June deadline during a joint meeting with the Patrick County Economic Development Board.

The issue arose after County Administrator Tom Rose asked the board to approve taking $500,000 from the county’s $2.5 million contingency fund to cover payroll.

Rose said September is a slow in terms of revenue collections, and the money could be returned to the contingency fund when revenue collections pick back up.

“Is it at all feasible that we consider requiring real estate taxes to be paid in June,” Lock Boyce, of the Mayor River District, asked. “That would give us the windfall we need, and we would continue having the use of that money for the rest of the year.”

Dan River District Supervisor Roger Hayden said he never supported the change from the December 5 deadline to the current twice year billing schedule, with half due in June and the remainder in December.

Boyce said when enacted, the change was a key to raising the funds needed to pay for improvements. He also noted a change requiring taxes to be paid in June would alleviate taxpayers worrying about coming up with the money at Christmas.

The supervisors approved Rose’s request.